rockm

"buys a tree that has been styled by someone of merit,"

Well, "some bonsaists are more equal than others." I mean, "merit" covers alot of ground and I think operates on a descending scale the futher you get from California ;-) I think there is some merit to preserving the "bonsai tradition" to some extent, but that tradition would most likely extend to only a handful of American artists, maybe only two or three not being of Japanese extraction. for a short list, check out the artists who have trees ON DISPLAY at the National Arboretum in D.C. Doesn't really count if the artist has only donated a tree, as the Arb accepts many donations, but displays only a few bonsai. The arb, by the way, struggles with this issue too. It has opted to preserve, as much as possible, the original designer's image.

The "tradition" of American bonsai is pretty short. Some of the trees that have been created in the past few decades, well let's face it, were on the learning curve and are pretty ugly and scream to be overhauled. The original designers do this all the time.

I would find it hard to believe that many American bonsaiists would take offense at altering some material, unless it's an established well known tree by a big "name." In fact, I'd bet most of them would encourage it, if the tree isn't really terrific.

Anyone that sells a tree no longer "owns" it. For someone to expect you not to work something that is yours is unrealistic. It's a nice gesture for you to look to preserve what they have done, but, it isn't mandatory.