Gee whiz, I'm glad that the article is getting some eyeballs on it and that it is cause for some to ponder a few of the points made (thanks for asking for opinions, OMC ;-). I certainly appreciate the nice comments and I hope that some will be ispired to look at other "rules" in bonsai and in art and see why they may apply.
And to clarify, I'm not suggesting that if you're a bonsai grower you have to be following a bunch of rules. In addition to being an art, bonsai is a cool hobby that doesn't have to have anything to do with art, just as there are plenty of painters who just enjoy putting paint on canvas and creating pictures of landscapes, still life, etc... What they're doing is not necessarily art, but it make them happy to create. Same with bonsai. But the full definition of bonsai is an art that uses trees to portray our perception of nature.
Doody, yes there are "rules" for cascade and windswept styles in bonsai and they have mostly to do with what is natural. However, there are artistic affectations that can help to clarify and emphasize the image as well. All kinds of books will point out or clarify what the basics of these "rules" are. Have fun in learning about them.
Thanks for the plug, Jim ;-)
Kind regards,
Andy Rutlege
b u n j i n | d e s i g n ::
www.bunjindesign.com
zone 8, Texas