Contest critique #4: Uncontrived & Natural 9/8/09

This elegant five tree planting was submitted by Michelle Dougherty (Bunjin Journal).

A simple, natural look
If you’ve been following our Great Debate posts, you know that some people see a dichotomy between naturalistic and traditional bonsai. If I had to put Michelle’s drawing into one of these two groups, it would be naturalistic. Though the placement of the trees may or may not have been influenced by traditional Japanese guidelines (the odd number certainly conforms), the overall effect seems uncontrived and natural.

A dead tree adds a living touch
I like the dead tree (at least I think it’s supposed to be dead). You might imagine that it was old and weak and finally submitted to insects and disease. The fact that it is the tallest tree in the planting gives that story more credence.

Spacing
I also like the feeling of open space that’s created by the gap between the three trees in the center and the tree on the right. In the same vein, he tree on the far left is drawn in a way that gives the planting depth and adds to the feeling of open space.

A question about the soil
The planting looks like it’s on a disk. That’s good, but if you were to make one exactly like this, could you get the soil to mound so high without some rocks to hold it in place? Or perhaps a muck wall could serve that purpose?

A question about the leaves
At first glance, I thought Michelle’s drawing was of full sized trees. I think that’s because of the small leaves relative to the trunks. But this is a drawing of a bonsai planting, so the leaves must be very tiny. Are there any trees that have leaves that small?

A question about sunlight and growth
In nature, trees at the edge of stands tend to have most of their foliage growing outward, where they can catch more sunlight. I’m not sure this drawing conforms to that tendency. Does this potential problem exist only in my mind (this happens from time to time), or does it detract from the overall natural effect?

A dead branch
Notice that the branch on the far right is dead. In nature, this branch is probably the least likely to die. It’s on the strongest tree and it’s growing outward where it would get good light. This is not to say it couldn’t be dead, just that it is less likely to be dead than some other branches.

Blame it on the Japanese
As you may know, very detailed observations are common with many of Japanese bonsai artists that are featured in Bonsai Today magazine. With the Japanese, I always felt they were teaching, not criticizing. In this case, I think it’s possible to like something and to discuss its features critically, provided that our intention is to improve our understanding of bonsai.