I really like the pot because it’s understated, it’s the right size/color, and it gives echoes of old ruins.
As for the tree, I like the bark and although the trunk is straighter than I would prefer, it is graceful. I would remove the number one branch and bring number two down slightly and lengthen it about 20 percent. That would make us need to bring the other branches down, especially the current number four branch and the apical branches. Plus the number three branch needs more refinement.
If we were to keep the number one branch, the owner of this tree would need to practice energy-balancing techniques—thinning the crown and higher branches and letting the lowest branch go pretty wild for a year or two so that it can regain its vigor. This would also help us bring the needle size down over a few years.
I can tell you that I enjoy seeing pots like this in a bonsai composition. The simple form and shape of the pot reveals an unpracticed zen quality. The combination of tree and pot work well together, but a few changes could be made to better communicate the visual harmony between the two elements.
First let us examine the angle of the pot rising up on the left side. This element in a composition should be chosen carefully, and here it works well. As in this case the tree has a lean to the right which is offset by the pot’s angle. This visual element lifts up the tree and helps it to balance in the composition. If most or all of the branches were on the right side of the composition, the effect would be even better realized.
Now to the tree as it relates to the style of the pot. As I previously mentioned, it does work well, but I would add a few points of interest in the tree to further its effectiveness. One thing this tree lacks is the character of age. An old tree shows well to a rustic pot where both elements reflect and add to each other. A thicker trunk with more hard angular features too could help achieve this goal. Granted, we are dealing with a tree
that is relatively young so this is a somewhat moot point. However, could we not develop some nice rythym in the branch angles, as they relate to the line of the top of the pot? If more attention was given to these branches, and less on the needles it would help. Furthermore, moving the angles at which they droop as it relates to the pot’s angle would bring the eye up from the pot to the trunk and back down again. This artistic element of rhythm or patterning is evident in a lot of effective artworks, and here it could be used as well.
In summary, by incorporating some simple artistic elements of design this tree would be more effective as a pot and tree composition. These are just minor points, but nonetheless important, especially if we intend to look at this bonsai as a living sculpture.
In any case, I would love to have this tree and pot and try my luck at some of the points mentioned.
I really like the pot because it’s understated, it’s the right size/color, and it gives echoes of old ruins.
As for the tree, I like the bark and although the trunk is straighter than I would prefer, it is graceful. I would remove the number one branch and bring number two down slightly and lengthen it about 20 percent. That would make us need to bring the other branches down, especially the current number four branch and the apical branches. Plus the number three branch needs more refinement.
If we were to keep the number one branch, the owner of this tree would need to practice energy-balancing techniques—thinning the crown and higher branches and letting the lowest branch go pretty wild for a year or two so that it can regain its vigor. This would also help us bring the needle size down over a few years.
I can tell you that I enjoy seeing pots like this in a bonsai composition. The simple form and shape of the pot reveals an unpracticed zen quality. The combination of tree and pot work well together, but a few changes could be made to better communicate the visual harmony between the two elements.
First let us examine the angle of the pot rising up on the left side. This element in a composition should be chosen carefully, and here it works well. As in this case the tree has a lean to the right which is offset by the pot’s angle. This visual element lifts up the tree and helps it to balance in the composition. If most or all of the branches were on the right side of the composition, the effect would be even better realized.
Now to the tree as it relates to the style of the pot. As I previously mentioned, it does work well, but I would add a few points of interest in the tree to further its effectiveness. One thing this tree lacks is the character of age. An old tree shows well to a rustic pot where both elements reflect and add to each other. A thicker trunk with more hard angular features too could help achieve this goal. Granted, we are dealing with a tree
that is relatively young so this is a somewhat moot point. However, could we not develop some nice rythym in the branch angles, as they relate to the line of the top of the pot? If more attention was given to these branches, and less on the needles it would help. Furthermore, moving the angles at which they droop as it relates to the pot’s angle would bring the eye up from the pot to the trunk and back down again. This artistic element of rhythm or patterning is evident in a lot of effective artworks, and here it could be used as well.
In summary, by incorporating some simple artistic elements of design this tree would be more effective as a pot and tree composition. These are just minor points, but nonetheless important, especially if we intend to look at this bonsai as a living sculpture.
In any case, I would love to have this tree and pot and try my luck at some of the points mentioned.
Cheers,
Rob Addonizio