The Windswept Form

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Windswept or "wind influenced" forms abound in nature near seasides, high mountains and deserts.

Whenever a tree grows under the influence of wind, there is an interplay of forces at work. The tree is often "sculpted" into interesting, aerodynamic forms, but the tree it is not a completely passive force, like a flag might be.

To better understand the forces that shape a windswept bonsai, let's consider the flag as a useful starting point.

The trunk is represented by the flagpole, and the foliage head makes up the flag. As the force of the wind increases, the wind produces a drag on the flag that tends to pull it along in the direction it is blowing. The flag exerts a corresponding force on the pole, and the flagpole is bent to the leeward (downwind) side, and assuming the flagpole is not a rigid lever, the pole bends.

Since the pole is anchored in the ground, the force results in greatest displacement at the top of the pole.

Attached Images

bonsaiflag_sm.jpg (28.9 KB, 260 views)

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The flag is completely passive, it doesn't react to the winds force by leaning into it, but simply responds to its force. Imagine a similarly passive, tree-shaped structure placed out into the wind, leaving off the foliage for clarity.

If the wind were sufficiently strong, the branches might appear something like this, a response to the wind we will call "flagging."

You might see a tree of this type developing under the influence of relentless, persistent wind form a single direction.

Attached Images

windswept_flagging.gif (4.4 KB, 247 views)

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If we look at our windswept gallery in the bonsaiTALK museum, we can see that windswept trees bonsai of this "passive" type abound.

Consider just a couple of examples of this type: (click to enlarge)






Granted, some natural trees do develop in this form, and windswept bonsai are frequently styled in this way. However, when we look at some natural trees, we might see something different happening.

This tree has formed into an aerodynamic shape overall, but the trunk is hardly passive. It ripples and undulates and actually seems to be alive.

Please click this offsite link to open an interesting example in a separate window:

http://www.cyprusbyclick.com/CITY_G...s-Georgious.jpg

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The juniper in the linked example above (hope you visited it?) doesn't simply flag. It flows and undulates, and you can see the shapes of the curves in its trunk seem to follow arcs and ellipses.

To model this growth pattern, I used an ellipse (A) as the basis of a study and developed it the pattern of a tree growing in nature. I've cut it down to a portion (B) and iterated that segment several times (C) to produce the final sketch (D).

Here we have a trunk that is wind influenced, actively resisting and responding to the wind's activity.

Attached Images

windswept_flowing.gif (7.2 KB, 238 views)

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Just as an aside - an interesting note here is that this same shape turned on end might model the branch of a weeping style bonsai under the influence of gravity...

Attached Images

weeping_flowing.gif (3.3 KB, 227 views)

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I hope this discussion will help spur others to try to develop a more dynamic style of windswept bonsai. Adding flowing type elements to the design can help to emphasize that the tree is a living force and will attempt to counteract the unrelenting wind with growth patterns that can result in fantastical structures that can be modeled with ellipses

I'll leave you with a picture of my daughter Melissa enjoying a camelia bonsai that is modeled in the windswept style. Perhaps this tree will see some improvement in the near future as a result of this discussion.



Regards.

Matt

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