bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - First Attempt At A Windswept

Hi Jeff, I've looked at this picture long and hard over the last couple of days, my bonsai teacher has started to notice that everything i touch ends up as windswept I have no idea why, maybe something sub conteous (sp?). Anyway to your tree (in your post in the other forum you said you don't mind a bit of constructive critiscm, so if you do mind it stop reading now!).

1st off re-assess your wiring its difficult to see properly from the photos but certainly in places it doesn't look at 45 degrees and looks a bit close together in places (if your unsure how to wire look up wiring on the search this forum bit of the forum). Remember to anchor the wire firmly - some of your wiring looks ok you are using the sling shot technique fine in some places. What are you using for wire? I've never seen wire that is so orange in colour usually brown or browny/silver, depending on Japanese or Korean.

2nd you are going to have to wire everything not just the areas that you have done there appears to be several branches and shoots with no wire at all. You will have to use different gages of wire for this and wire right to the tip of the branch. Try to trap as little foliage in your wiring as possible - I no it is hard. Take your time.

3rd as for positioning and placement of branches, including movement of the trunk and leader (you may have to wire the trunk with thick wire to introduce movement), it is difficult to see there is alot of clutter and many of the branches cross each other. If it were me I'd first remove any thing that is growing downward from the branches (those shoots that originate on the branch from the underside) a groomed foliage mass on on a tree like this should be virtually flat, and later then ramification can occur to bulk up the foliage if you want but only on the top sides, to many trees i see look like there foliage masses are clouds.

4th from this point i would then look at the structure of the tree and asses my situation as to branch positioning i would look at several pictures of windswept style and then try and come up with a difinative plan, remember three dimensions! I would try to avoid crossing branches and make definative foliage masses and spend some time on the apex at the moment it is diffcult to see what is going on there but it needs some attention, look up how apex's are delt with on windswpet styles. Looking at the pictures I can probably see that you can take the branches in this area the same direction as everything else but you need to have a look and a think. Once wired all the foliage can be moved into a more up right postion rather than the droppy way it is now, by this i mean horizontal. At preset it suggests semi cascade. Don't be affraid to create some real movement onced wired, if you here a crack stop, but you can usuallyfeel how far a branch/trunk will let you go. With rafia and time even further!

Lastly you ask which front is preferable, well this should have been you FIRST DECISION! based on root base followed by trunk and branch movement. For me either probably works in its present form.

Hope it helps
Jonny.

2-Apr-2004	#6
Jonny D bonsaiTALK Master Join Date: Jul-2003 Location: North Yorkshire Country: England USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 448	Hi Jeff, I've looked at this picture long and hard over the last couple of days, my bonsai teacher has started to notice that everything i touch ends up as windswept I have no idea why, maybe something sub conteous (sp?). Anyway to your tree (in your post in the other forum you said you don't mind a bit of constructive critiscm, so if you do mind it stop reading now!). 1st off re-assess your wiring its difficult to see properly from the photos but certainly in places it doesn't look at 45 degrees and looks a bit close together in places (if your unsure how to wire look up wiring on the search this forum bit of the forum). Remember to anchor the wire firmly - some of your wiring looks ok you are using the sling shot technique fine in some places. What are you using for wire? I've never seen wire that is so orange in colour usually brown or browny/silver, depending on Japanese or Korean. 2nd you are going to have to wire everything not just the areas that you have done there appears to be several branches and shoots with no wire at all. You will have to use different gages of wire for this and wire right to the tip of the branch. Try to trap as little foliage in your wiring as possible - I no it is hard. Take your time. 3rd as for positioning and placement of branches, including movement of the trunk and leader (you may have to wire the trunk with thick wire to introduce movement), it is difficult to see there is alot of clutter and many of the branches cross each other. If it were me I'd first remove any thing that is growing downward from the branches (those shoots that originate on the branch from the underside) a groomed foliage mass on on a tree like this should be virtually flat, and later then ramification can occur to bulk up the foliage if you want but only on the top sides, to many trees i see look like there foliage masses are clouds. 4th from this point i would then look at the structure of the tree and asses my situation as to branch positioning i would look at several pictures of windswept style and then try and come up with a difinative plan, remember three dimensions! I would try to avoid crossing branches and make definative foliage masses and spend some time on the apex at the moment it is diffcult to see what is going on there but it needs some attention, look up how apex's are delt with on windswpet styles. Looking at the pictures I can probably see that you can take the branches in this area the same direction as everything else but you need to have a look and a think. Once wired all the foliage can be moved into a more up right postion rather than the droppy way it is now, by this i mean horizontal. At preset it suggests semi cascade. Don't be affraid to create some real movement onced wired, if you here a crack stop, but you can usuallyfeel how far a branch/trunk will let you go. With rafia and time even further! Lastly you ask which front is preferable, well this should have been you FIRST DECISION! based on root base followed by trunk and branch movement. For me either probably works in its present form. Hope it helps Jonny.