Robert’s deft touch
If you look at the before and after shots, it’s easy to see that it’s the same tree. The trunk has been leaned slightly to the left, some branches have been lengthened and some shortened, it has a different pot and the placement in the pot has been moved. Nothing very radical, yet the effect is striking; the tree has transformed from simple potential to realization of that potential.

Before. The image that Sumardi submitted to Robert.

Robert’s comments

The focal point
The focal point of this tree is the curve of the trunk. This focal point has good value of interest, but is not well enough explored to create an outstanding bonsai. To the contrary, it imparts a negative effect on the upper part of the trunk, which becomes too vertical and straight. As a consequence the tree has less visual balance, less beauty and less evocation than it could have.

The pot
Judging by the character of the line and the shape of the crown, this tree looks rather feminine, soft and casual, but the shape of the pot with the strong sharp corners is too strong, too masculine for the tree. Consequently, the overall image is less charming than it could be.

Solutions
My solution is to correct the straight vertical line of the trunk by leaning the tree slightly to the left. This creates a nice continuous flow with clear direction. In order to emphasize movement, the right branches are shortened and the left branches are lengthened.

The size of the crown is slightly reduced and opened up, creating more space and reducing the heavy feeling.

Finally, a new pot with rounded corners is used to fit the soft character of the tree. Now, with this new design, I believe that the overall effect is more charming and that a more cheerful mood is the result.

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.

My bonsai blog address : http://robert-steven.ofbonsai.org

Robert’s books

More varied and interesting, but still…
Last month Paulo Netto submitted a group planting for critique by Robert Steven. Now, he’s submitted another more varied and interesting group planting for Robert to critique. Still, no matter how varied and interesting, there’s room for improvement, and ‘room for improvement’ is practically Robert’s middle name.

Paulo Netto’s planting.

Robert Steven’s critique

After the recent critique on Paulo Netto’s grouping, especially on the placement of the gate, he sent me a new grouping with different placement, which showed great improvement in perspective as well as overall composition. The open space in front also shows a much better foreground setting.

However, there are still some points that can be improved.

One of the very important principles of grouping bonsai is to make the panorama look like a part of natural landscape; not a prototype of a backyard garden. So, in this design, I would prefer to take out the wooden fence.

Creating a path is always a good idea in a group planting, but there is a trick to make the path more interesting and natural, and to add artistic value to the creation. In Chinese, this concept is very important and expressed as “Shen Long Jian Shou Bu Jian Wei” (A mystical dragon will only show its head and not the tail). This concept applies to the forming a path or river in landscape bonsai. Never make a straight path or river, but always make it zigzag, curving to the rear with its end point hidden. This will enhance the perspective and create a sense of mystery and an illusion of depth.

Looking at the simulation you can see that I have changed the placement of the gate by partly hiding it behind the trees. This improves the perspective and depth and suggests more mystery.

In addition to all this, all of the trees should be refined to create better ramification.

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.

My bonsai blog address : http://robert-steven.ofbonsai.org

Bonsai paradise
I wonder just how common naturally contorted wild bonsai stock are on the islands of Indonesia. Based on what I’ve seen online and elsewhere, it’s easy to get the impression that they are so abundant that all you have to do is walk out your door, bend over and pick a few. Somehow though, I doubt that’s the case. If fact, I seem to remember photos from Robert Steven’s Mission of Transformation, that show Robert and friends going to a considerable amount of trouble (even dangerous trouble) to collect wild trees (here’s a relevant post from 2009). Still, Indonesian bonsai artists seem to come up with an endless supply of high quality collected bonsai, and the ones shown here are no exception.

The wild contortions on this one are a bit more expansive, but nature’s ravages combined with skilled human hands make for the same delightful results. This one belongs to Budi Sulistyo (author of Tropical Bonsai Gallery). The photo is from ofbonsai.org.

I don’t think we can go any further without showing one of Robert Steven’s masterpieces. Robert is a bright star in the Indonesian bonsai universe and this gnarly old tree is a good example of what his skillful hands and eyes can do with powerful collected material. The photo is from the gallery on Robert’s blog. BTW: Robert is a frequent contributor to this blog and author of two of our favorite bonsai books.

In Robert Steven’s own words
“This is a super large penjing I did two weeks ago. The total length is three meters (about 10 feet).

I combined three large special-order white marble trays in the arrangement in order to give a unique presentation in perspective and composition.

The mountains were made of real rocks by a friend who hollowed some areas for planting the trees (Triphasia trifolia, aka Limeberry).

The problem was to find a background for the photo, finally got it….”

This photo offers a little perspective.

Holiday shopping
There’s still time to do you holiday shopping at Stone Lantern. Our warehouse is on the ball and almost all far-away shipments go via air.

Robert’s books
Your Holiday shopping might include Robert’s two ground breaking books: Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation.

Attention to detail helps
I don’t know exactly how Robert Steven does his simulations, but from the looks of them, I’d guess that plenty of time and effort goes into each one. Rather than settle for simple abstractions, Robert’s simulations look like the real thing (the photo above aptly illustrates this point). So much so, that if you didn’t know that they are simulations, you’d most likely accept them as photos of actual bonsai.

I can think of at least two reasons why this is so: first, Robert knows what goes into making a quality bonsai (if you know Robert’s work, you’ll know that this is an understatement). Second, there’s Robert’s attention to detail. The refined and lush beauty of the ground cover on tree above is a perfect example of this. But it doesn’t end there. The texture, coloring and shading on the deadwood is perfect, as is everything else in this excellent simulation (the foliage also shows great detail, but it’s not the same foliage that’s on the original; maybe Robert could shed some light on this).

There’s more I could say about this simulation, including how radical and daring this transformation is, but maybe it’s time to see what Robert has to say.

Robert’s critique

I am sorry to say that in spite of the fairly heavy trunk and deadwood, this bonsai still looks immature and the styling is not very well done.

Much of the styling problem has to do with the poor branch structure (ramification) and the poorly refined crown and foliage. Also the way the deadwood is carved doesn’t look natural. Finally, the pot doesn’t fit to the design of the tree. Overall, the tree lacks the beautiful mature look that makes for a good bonsai.

The only solution is a total restyling. There are at least two options: you can either make it into cascade with the long first branch or a semi-cascade, like my simulation. Either way you choose, the main issue is still the design: the ramification should be reformed, some dramatic bending and twisting might help form the foliage pads and then the foliage needs to be refined. The deadwood also need some touching up to look natural, and last, but not least, the selection of container should fit the design.

Matthew’s bonsai as submitted to Robert.

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.

Book Sale at Stone Lantern
Both of Robert’s ground breaking books (Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation) are discounted at Stone Lantern, as are all (but one) of our vast selection of Bonsai books and Japanese gardening books.

Marco Invernizzi, Bill Valavanis and Isao Omachi

Your generosity comes to fruition: I received this note and photo from Bill Valavanis the other day.“This afternoon, Saturday, November 19, 2012 Marco and I met with Isao Omachi to present him with several checks in the amount of US $55,000.00 received from the generous donations around the world. Isao was very appreciative of the gift which will assist his family to re construct their lives.” Isao’s house and bonsai collection were completely lost in Japan’s devastating earthquake/tsunami.

Just got this postcard in the mail from my friends and compatriots at the NBF. The tree is a formal upright Japanese White pine. Decent formal uprights are rare and this splendid samurai is far beyond just decent.

This is shot taken from a video that shows the Bonsai displayed by the Bonsai Societies of Florida at the Epcot.

Bonsai from Scratch Honorable Mention Winners

A heartfelt thanks to all of you who entered our contest. Your efforts made for a high-quality, dynamic and enjoyable experience. And thank you also to our great panel of judges. Your participation added richness and depth to the contest. Lest I forget, thank you also to those of you who donated prizes (Robert Steven – artist, author & teacher, Todd Hansen - Sanctuary Bonsai, & Paul Stokes - ofBonsai Magazine). Your generosity is appreciated.

First, second, third, forth & fifth prizes have already been awarded.
Now for the Honorable Mentions.

Congratulations to Ryan Wagner. His Juniper pro-nana won the First Honorable Mention prize in our Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Ryan’s prize is a $50 gift certificate to Stone Lantern.

Congratulations to Johnson Teh. His Yaupon holly won the Second Honorable Mention prize in our Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Johnson’s prize is Robert Steven’s ground-breaking book, Mission of Transformation.

Congratulations to Steve Ristau. His Japanese yew won the Third Honorable Mention prize in our Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Steve’s prize is Robert Steven’s classic book, Vision of My Soul.

Congratulations to Robert Spencer Sencer. His Cedar of Lebanon won the Forth Honorable Mention prize in our Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Robert’s prize is $25 gift certificate from Cafe Press, the ofBonsai Magazine store.

Congratulations to Jeff Doyle. His Echiniformis White spruce won the Fifth Honorable Mention prize in our Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Jeff’s prize is $25 gift certificate from Cafe Press, the ofBonsai Magazine store.

Prize winners: Please contact me so we can make sure you get your gift: wayne@stonelantern.com

Bow and arrow
Once you get beyond the fact that the bark and shape and even the foliage (at a glance) on this Pemphis look so much like the common Juniper pro-nana (that made-yesterday little bonsai imposter that flooded our Holiday malls last century), you might notice that there’s an unmistakable bow and arrow effect going on here. True, the bow has been softened considerably by Robert in his simulation, but the arrow remains. Perhaps Robert left it the way it is because it’s the feature that makes this otherwise unremarkable tree unique.

Robert’s critique

This is bonsai presents a good opportunity to talk about visual balance
Visual balance in art is not the kind of balance you get by weighing something with a scale. It’s more a visual illusion you sense from a composition (continued below).

The original as submitted by Hamman Harris.

In the case of this bonsai, you get the sense that it’s falling down to the left. In other words, it lacks visual balance.

-       The container with its round bottom, along with the shape of the pedestal, create a very unstable appearance, rather than a solid well anchored feeling.

-       The bow shaped right trunk forcefully drives the weight down and to the left.

-       The unbroken flow of foliage without any gaps, creates a very strong directing line that further transfers the visual weight to the left.

-       The crown is too big and the foliage pad is too dense.

-       As mentioned above, there is a lack of empty space (gaps) between the foliage pads.

Solution

-       Flatten the bottom of the container and use a rectangular pedestal. Both of these changes contribute to a more stable feeling.

-       Refine the foliage by making it more irregular, creating more gaps and opening up the crown. Turning some branches into jin will also help to decrease the illusion of too much weight.

-       Partially cover the bow shaped trunk on the right with some foliage. This will help to decrease the illusion of the too much force down and to the left.

By following these steps, the overall composition is improved and a better visual balance has been created.

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.

Still impressed
No matter how much I try, I don’t see nearly as much as Robert Steven sees when he does his critiques (it’s not even close). So, once again, I am left to sing the praises of Robert’s bonsai wisdom. If you’d like proof of that wisdom, just read on. Or, you can check out Robert’s books and search his name on this blog and read through dozens of his earlier posts. It’s time well spent.

Robert’s critique

How can two nice components create a less-than-beautiful design?
We can all agree that this bonsai and the natural container are very nice (see photo below), but we still feel there is something wrong in the overall composition, which make the design less beautiful than it could be. How can two nice components (container and tree) create a less-than-beautiful design?

It’s about our cognitive sense and our sub-conscious. Our background, experiences, culture, education, social value; what we see and what we learn, all are stored somewhere in our brain. Then, when we see something that doesn’t accord with the data in our brain’s folder, our cognitive sense rejects it and our sub-conscious reacts to the discrepancies and perceives it as less than beautiful. 

Here’s the original photo that Ikhsan submitted.

So, what’s wrong with this bonsai?

The problems have to do with natural phenomena, the plant’s physiology and morphology, which have not been logically applied in the creation of this bonsai.

-      The tree grows in relatively symmetrical manner with slight movement to the right and  with the roots spread equally around the base of the trunk.

-      The natural container depicts a generally rocky area with the tree growing beside a big rock on its right.

-       Logically, in such growing conditions, the tree’s roots system will not spread equally around, but tend to grow to the left for the water source, and grow away from the barrier on the right. Physiologically, the tree will never grow symmetrically or with movement to the right when the roots in the ground are growing to the left

-       These are the reasons we feel the design is not as beautiful as it could be, even though the two main elements are nice.

Correcting the flaws
So, to correct it, simply follow the plant physiology and plant morphology. In most case, this just means that you can use common sense when it comes to natural phenomenon. This is the element we sometime overlook in our bonsai design process.

1. I would correct the shape of the container by cutting it to make it shorter and to create a downward slope. The objective is to create more natural look that fits the shape of the tree.
2. Reposition the tree to lean to the left, cut some of the roots on the right, so that they are slightly one-sided to the left.
3. Shorten the right branches and lengthen the left branches to create movement to the left that follows the direction of the roots.

Now, when you look at the simulated image, you see a better composition with more a logical design: a tree growing on a sloping rocky area. When it’s more logical, you feel it’s more beautiful…

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.

Getting down to the finer points
So much of what you see and read in bonsai books and elsewhere, just repeats the same old basic principles. Even some of the most experienced teachers seem to fall into this trap. It’s easy to understand, given that bonsai is still fairly young in much of the world and so many of us are still trying to learn those basic principles. But still, it’s a breath of fresh air when someone digs into subtleties that most of us would never think of. This is where Robert Steven comes in. I am repeatedly impressed by Robert’s grasp of, and ability to express, many of the finest points of bonsai. Things that are so easy to overlook unless they are pointed out.

Nyoman Agus’ submission.

Robert’s comments

There are several issues with this raft style bonsai

1. A common mistake that is made all over the world, is training deciduous bonsai as though they are coniferous bonsai, with an apically dominant structure; a single line that forms an apical crown. Old deciduous trees are not supposed to have this type of structure; they should be wide open rather than featuring a single line that forms an apex. Only conifers or young deciduous tress do this.
2. People tend to consider “front” in bonsai as the viewing angle that show everything clearly and openly; consequently, many bonsai have a flat front without much perspective. All three trunks in this bonsai are positioned in a horizontal straight-line, so there is little perspective in this composition.
3. These three trunks are placed the same distance apart with their canopies clearly separated. As a consequence, they lack unity; they all seem to be standing alone, with no distinct focal point.
4. From the lines of the trunks, we can be certain that the overall movement is suppose to flow to the left; but the potting position with the middle tree slightly to the left creates a contradiction. The trees seem to flow to the left, but the pot is pointing to the right, so there is a problem of visual balance.
5. Last but not least, the pot is a little too deep.

Solution  (please see the simulation at the top of the post)

1. Re-structure the branching (ramification) by changing the apical dominant form to an open structure with clip-and-grow technique. If we look at all the trunks’ movements, they are all bending to the left. Morphological speaking, there are certainly natural reasons why such features are formed. One logical reason is the wind blowing, so why not to create a wind-swept style bonsai? Pemphis might not be good for a wind-swept style that depicts an existing wind (because we cannot defoliated Pemphis), but we can create a style that is formed by a prevailing wind, but with that wind being still at the moment (for details about concepts and techniques for windswept bonsai, please read my book Vision of My Soul).
2. In order to create better perspective, I would suggest changing the front to view slightly from the right. By doing so, we can also correct the distance issue to make the two trees on the right closer.
3. Rearranging the individual crowns’ positions and overlapping their foliage improves the overall unity. When you do this on the two trees on the right, the focal point is enhanced and you have better foreground and background views. Another way to improve the perspective is the contour of the soil surface and the green moss placement. Make the right side contour higher to the front with lighter color moss and overlap the contour of the left side with darker moss. This small gap will create an illusion that the left tree is farther back.
4. Use a shallower pot and place the trees slightly to the right to create more space on the left. This will enhance the movement and create better visual balance.

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.

The eye of a master
Sometimes Robert Steven’s simulations are strikingly radical and completely unexpected. In this case, what Robert has presented isn’t so radical. You might even say, his improvements are fairly obvious. Still, obvious or not, Robert’s expert eye and touch always seem to elevate the trees from ordinary to sublime.

The tree on the left was submitted by Anthony. The one on the right was submitted by Josua. Both are ficus.

Robert’s Critique

I put these two bonsai together for my critique and as they are both Ficus. My simulation is for Josua’s tree, but I believe Anthony will also learn from it.

Anthony’s tree is still immature; the ramification (branching) needs to be developed. No matter how old or well developed the trunk appears, if the ramification is not ideal, it will never look like a mature tree in nature. From the initial form, I can also tell the “textbook mind set” with the 1-2-3 branching rule and apical crown which does not portray the character of ficus (or a deciduous tree) which should be wide spread. The aerial roots are also messy.

For Josua’s tree, the basic features of the trunk and aerial roots are nice, they show the character of an old ficus, but the crown is too small, too round and too neat. This creates an artificial look. The pot is also too deep which distracts the tree from the overall composition.

In order to portray a large old ficus in nature, the crown should be much wider: with uneven foliage edges. This will give the tree more natural look. The ramification still looks rather messy and too dense, it should be further refined and simplified. This especially applies to the twigs. If you do this, your bonsai will look neat and clean with sufficient spaces which also good for the lights to get through. A shallow pot will improve the tree’s presentation as you can see in the simulation.

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.