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A California Live Oak was exhibited at the GSBF Convention 2003 in Fresno, CA.
This was my critique of the oak by Katsumi Kinoshita from Monterey, CA

“This is the ugliest tree of this exhibit! Oh is this ugly! I walk away from it, but stop to look back It is really ugly. Going towards the tree again a bit. How can someone dare to exhibit such a tree in an important show? Everything is wrong on this bonsai. Is it even a bonsai, or just a piece of material in a pot? Look at the reverse taper – terrible. Where is the Nebari? Nonexistent. Where is the fist branch? Oh this is supposed to be the first branch? It is atrocious – sets the theme for the whole tree, yes. This crown looks more like a mushroom than a bonsai. On a scale from one to hundred this tree gets minus fifteen points. Oh is it ugly! Walking away from it and letting the tree speak for a while.
Looking back again and trying to see some detail Going closer, very close. Look at this here in the back of the crown, this is a big old hole. A giant owl must live here. Look at the bark – this is so rugged. How come this most atrocious first branch has such an unusual shape. Where did this tree get the huge scars? This must be a very old tree. The longer I look at it the older it gets. This oak may well be five hundred years old. How about that! This oak was there before the Spaniards came. The guard of the valley saw the native Americans the Spaniards going by; it saw the Russians, the gold diggers; it saw the Republic of California! It has seen it all - much much more than we will ever see. This tree owns the valley. It is so strong that it cold not care less what we think of it. We don’t exist regarding this oak. What does it concern the old oak tree when the sow rubs it’s back at it?
I have deep respect of this tree. I start to admire it. It is so ugly! Ugly in a very serious way, in a respectable way, like a very old person. This tree impresses me deeply.

Is it a bonsai? Is it a good bonsai? Well, if bonsai is a craft and to be judged by the intellect it is a terrible bonsai. If bonsai is an art then we have to ask: is it art when it touches your soul? Yes. Is it high art when it touches your soul very much? Yes. Isn’t art about creating something beautiful? NO! Art is about creating something that touches your soul – can well be ugly.
This tree is so ugly that it has started to be beautiful again. Do we want to improve this oak? No, but maybe we make it a bit more ugly.”