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Hi David,

You wrote:
"Well so far I have never seen a perfect tree. But what is perfect? I'm guessing perfect follows all the rules of bonsai set out by the Japanese. SO I guess you need to get the tape measure and mesaure the girth of the trunk to the height of the tree and that the first, second and third branches are in the exact location as specified by the Japanese rules."
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The Japanese did not create any rules. They did, by virtue of utilizing many relevant artistic guidelines in an appealing manner, set an aesthetic standard, but the "rules" of bonsai are the "rules of art. They are neither Japanese nor attributed to any other culture.

The references to ratios of trunk width to tree height are not "rules" at all. They are merely some simple examples. Trunk width and tree height ratios are dependent upon the character of the tree and the aims of the artist. Being aware of these ratios is often useful in acheiving a certain aim, but there are no "perfect" ratios. Please work to understand this. ;-)

You also wrote:
"I have never said to anyone that they have the perfect tree. I have said to people that their trees are magnificent, beautiful, excellent etc. That's as far as I would go. I don't know all the rules of bonsai so I can't judge whether a tree is perfect. I simple know whether a tree is magnficent and other relevant adjectives."
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Yes! The "rules" of bonsai don't have anything to do with perfection. Perfection is not part of art either. There is successful and unsuccessful art, and while part of the equation that makes up these qualities has to do with the "rules" (the useful guiedlines and conventions of artistic communication), it is the skill and inspiration of the artist that largely determines the level of quality for the work.

I urge you to learn the basic principles of bonsai art - what many mistakenly refer to as "the rules," and then learn the many ways that these fundamentals can be employed to create your own aims. And have fun! Good luck!

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
zone 8, Texas

16-Dec-2002	#9
K.A. Rutledge Guest Posts: n/a	Hi David, You wrote: "Well so far I have never seen a perfect tree. But what is perfect? I'm guessing perfect follows all the rules of bonsai set out by the Japanese. SO I guess you need to get the tape measure and mesaure the girth of the trunk to the height of the tree and that the first, second and third branches are in the exact location as specified by the Japanese rules." ----------------- The Japanese did not create any rules. They did, by virtue of utilizing many relevant artistic guidelines in an appealing manner, set an aesthetic standard, but the "rules" of bonsai are the "rules of art. They are neither Japanese nor attributed to any other culture. The references to ratios of trunk width to tree height are not "rules" at all. They are merely some simple examples. Trunk width and tree height ratios are dependent upon the character of the tree and the aims of the artist. Being aware of these ratios is often useful in acheiving a certain aim, but there are no "perfect" ratios. Please work to understand this. ;-) You also wrote: "I have never said to anyone that they have the perfect tree. I have said to people that their trees are magnificent, beautiful, excellent etc. That's as far as I would go. I don't know all the rules of bonsai so I can't judge whether a tree is perfect. I simple know whether a tree is magnficent and other relevant adjectives." -------------------- Yes! The "rules" of bonsai don't have anything to do with perfection. Perfection is not part of art either. There is successful and unsuccessful art, and while part of the equation that makes up these qualities has to do with the "rules" (the useful guiedlines and conventions of artistic communication), it is the skill and inspiration of the artist that largely determines the level of quality for the work. I urge you to learn the basic principles of bonsai art - what many mistakenly refer to as "the rules," and then learn the many ways that these fundamentals can be employed to create your own aims. And have fun! Good luck! Kind regards, Andy Rutledge zone 8, Texas