Attila

Hi Chris,

Here is a (not all-inclusive) list of attributes associated with "natural-looking bonsai":

* Use of "rules" is not apparent in the design. It is either hidden (by a very talented artist) or ignored (by a self-proclaimed artist).

* The overall appearance is NOT reminiscent of classical bonsai forms.

* It may be suggestive of mature trees in nature. Important qualifier: the mature tree it represents does not have to belong to the same species (you can represent a mature spruce using a juniper as material).

You may want to check out Walter Pall's posts on this forum. He is the world's foremost authority on natural bonsai. There are a few long threads that explore this subject to exhaustion.

Attila