The Challenge....a photo essay

Dale Cochoy

At the Columbus, Ohio annual show on Fathers Day last month I was vending as usual. A good friend Of mine locally there had some stock he wanted to get rid of so asked if he could put it on my tables. One of the things he brought in was this big Ficus Benjamina in a flower pot. I asked how much he wanted for it ( rolling my eyes) and he said "start at $45 and drop it until it sells!" Pretty easy instructions.
For two days no one even LOOKED at it. -MORE-

On sunday, the last day I marked it at $35 and an old club member and pretty good customer said "Dale, I'll buy that for $35 if you take it home and style it" .
I looked at it again...took a big gulp...and said "OK, but you won't recognize it when I'm done" ( Which I figured was a GOOD thing!!
He then asked what I'd charge and I told him I couldn't say until I got to working, got a pot and saw how much carving I needed to do. I ooked at it a few days and then dove in.

Here's a couple BEFORE pics of it. A beauty huh? with my favorite beverage for scale.

I did a preliminary chop back to see just how much carving I needed to do to improve the old chops and scars.

After I decided what I wanted to do I took it out of the old pot and raked the soil from the roots. This is when I discovered that the tree had once been an air layering and all the rootage traveled around a thin layer all around the circumfrence of the tree. Great!! so far so good!
Although the rootbase didn't have any nice larger roots (this will come with age) it was EXTREMELY shallow. Note how the old trunk in the center is nicely rotted away and flat. I carved this out a bit .
To style the tree I needed to put it in some sort of pot and get the angle I wanted to start and so I potted it in a pot on hand and finished my carving of the upper trunk cuts and old rotted wood and partially filled old branch scars.

The one part I disliked most about the stock was the LARGE partially healed over scar on the front where a large branch had been removed long ago. In Ohio this would NEVER heal over, so I Carved the scar flush with the other surfaces until it looked the best to me and I thought I could disquise it well later with coloring.

After I got it potted and carved I removed yet a few more branches. You can see in last pic.

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__________________
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If you want to be Different....
You have to DO something Different!
__________________________________________

Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time....
but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again...
____________________________________________
Dale Cochoy
Wild Things Bonsai Studio
Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery
Hartville, Ohio

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Dale Cochoy

I carved the top of the tree to reduce it's size but still leave me enough branches to wire out a top and style.

Then when carving was complete I performed an old trick of mine on it which I've described before. I never saw ANYONE do this before the first time I mentioned it "on air"
I used a selection of craft acrylic enamel "toll" paints (available at any craft store) to match the bark color of the tree to help disquise the carved portions. Bare carving only rots and lime sulfur gives a contrast you don't want unless you want to show the carving. I didn't want to highlite the dead wood, I wanted to hide it as much as possible. I first mix a good matching color ( I have about 12 different colors which when combined I can pretty closely match anything. It does not wash off or wear off) then paint on a coat. After it dries I see how it looks....touch up color..and then second coat to really disquise it good. Also, I mix in a bit of lime sulfur. Not for any protection but I found it takes any glossy effects off the paint and leaves a nice "smokey" finish,

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__________________
________________________________
If you want to be Different....
You have to DO something Different!
__________________________________________

Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time....
but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again...
____________________________________________
Dale Cochoy
Wild Things Bonsai Studio
Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery
Hartville, Ohio

Dale Cochoy

I then styled out the top after wiring every single twig.
I let it sit about a week and a half ( during the week I was went to Florida BSF) to see if anything would die off. I figured I could move branches around then to hide any holes from stuff I had to cut off.

NOT A SINGLE TWIG DIED!!! I couldn't believe it after all the carving amongst the branches in the top of the tree.!

I also looked for a more correct sized pot now that I knew the rootbase limitations and amount of tilt I put into the trunk. Also, It had to be a "not-expensive" pot.
A couple days ago I potted it into this unglazed, Chinese pot.

It is now 3 weeks since the first cut.
Foliage is growing like crazy and will soon fill in the canopy and below existing canopy very nice. It is also nicely linking the shape of the top with the right side branch which was HEAVILY carved.
I expect it will have a nice rounded dome fairly soon.
The owner is picking it up Saturday.

I wonder if he'll recognize it.

Here are front and back untouched-up pictures.
Regards,
Dale Cochoy

Attached Images

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	FB13.back.jpg (39.8 KB, 132 views)

__________________
________________________________
If you want to be Different....
You have to DO something Different!
__________________________________________

Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time....
but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again...
____________________________________________
Dale Cochoy
Wild Things Bonsai Studio
Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery
Hartville, Ohio

midwestbonsai

I'll buy that for $35

nice job, I love your disquising technique!

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Bart Thomas(deceased)

Nice work, Dale.

And, a very useful photo-essay.

rschlafer

Great job...and Corona's are my beverage or choice too...Except sometime i like Fat Tire with 2 Olives in it

agraham

nice tree.............and

Coronas taste better with salt and limon(mexican limes)

andy

bonsaikc

Negra Modelo for me, man! Nice job on the tree!

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Sashi-no-eda.blogspot.com

ethanopia

I second the vote for Nerga Modelo, but that is a nice tree. I don't remember seeing that tree at the Columbus show. But I also had my wife and my two week old there so my mind was only partially looking at the trees. Good work, I'll be at the meeting sunday for the Ponderosa pine DVD, should be a real hoot. Wish I could go to the Krohn tour but alas I cannot.