bonsaial1

While going thru some old photo's and getting my huge assortment of old bonsai photo's organized. I came to a realization. There are lots of people that grow bonsai in the naturalistic form, but have no artistic ability.

What do I mean by this.
well... With resident expert Walter Pall in our midst, I am sure he will give us much to think about, but if I may be so bold, I will make some comments.

I feel that the natuarlistic is probaly the most difficult style to do, both techniquely and artisticly. Who could argue the fact that taking a 1 gallon maple in a bonsai pot could be confused by some as an "artistictly done naturalistic bonsai".

The plant was growing naturaly in the container, and I put it in the approriate pot, so why isn't it a masterpiece?

Looking at the work of Walter Pall, we assume that the tree was growing this way in nature, right. Wrongo! It takes more of an artist to make a tree snatched from nature, styled to look like the image of a tree, yet still be artistic. This is not freeform bonsai!

I think alot of the classical, pine tree styled maples and elms and such, are done like this beacause it is actually easier to get a presentable tree not only faster, but easier. That mental model that Fred likes to talk about sees the classical styled pine tree type tree far easier. I may be wrong here, but I think neo-classical is much more difficult to pull off then classical.

This also makes the neo-classical style much easier to do poorly. There is nothing worse than a bonsai done by someone that says they love the "wild look" yet have no idea what a neo-classical styled bonsai should look like. Again this is not freeform! The rules of bonsai fit into naturally styled trees also.

Best regards, Bonsai-al

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