This Ezo spruce (Picea jezoenis) belongs to Walter Pall. The hand built tray accentuates its untouched natural look. The tree was originally collected in Hokkaido, Japan sometime before 1950 and is over 100 years old. The tray (Walter calls it a stone) is by Dietmar Popp. This photo and the rest in this post are from Walter's facebook photos.
In addition to his excellent bonsai, I like Walter Pall’s instructive step-by-step presentations (you can find them on facebook and on his Bonsai Adventures blog). It’s like you’re standing right there looking over his shoulder. Or in this case, Thomas’s shoulder (In Walter’s own words Thomas helped to get this on it’s way.).
Walter put up 28 photos in all showing the work and results on this tree. We are presenting only a small fraction here and encourage you to visit Walter on facebook to view the whole process.
A close up of the large sabamiki (hollow in the trunk) taken before the work shown here.
Thomas working deadwood at the edge of the sabamiki with what looks like a Bosch diegrinder.
Working the deadwood in the back with a Dremel type tool.
You might notice the blackened wood. If we assume that it got that way by burning, can we also assume that this is a small blow torch?
Time to spring for a new wire brush?
Treating the deadwood with lime sulfur.
Wiring it down into it's new tray.
Finished for now. Walter usually presents both black (at the top) and light grey backgrounds. Which do you prefer?
I muchly prefer the black background. There’s always going to be good contrast with any color in the foliage or fruit or shade of darkness in any trunk.