Graydon

Interesting question and responses.

The Nick Lenz compositions - some of those are in my favorites. I would bet good money that before Nick did root over tank he knew the traditions and even followed them.

No, there's not an unwritten rule on pot shapes and trees. They are very will written and deep in tradition. Almost every bonsai book I have touches on them to some extent.

Sure, you can throw tradition to the side and do what you want. It's just a lot easier to do that after you understand the relations of pot sizes, shapes, finishes and colors and how they relate to the tree and the composition.

So yes, you would irk traditional judges and even other typical bonsai people. Do yourself a favor - get a good in depth book or two. Read them over and over for a couple of years. Look at photos of traditional bonsai in traditional pots. Get a deep understanding for what is going on and why. It's only after you master (or at least learn) the conventions of pots can you break those same conventions.

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