Well, a search of the BT gallery give you one example, anyway.

http://pictures.bonsaitalk.com/show...&cat=all&page=1

Brian

Soumya,

You do not find humans made out of stone or clay in nature but that is often the medium used by sculptors to portray them.

Trees and all plants grow in manners that best suits their survival. Trunks zig-zag through shadows to find light, hence the curved and twisted shapes. Trunks and branches are shaped by wind, light, weight of foliage, etc.

I agree that 99% of all tropical trees grow in a predictable manner but these are not the ones I wish to portray, I want to capture the essence of the other 1%. Take Junipers for example, there are many in nature that are really quite boring, I do not want to replicate these, I want to replicate the few that are twisted, scared, bent, and beaten by the elements. We could also think about Larches whose natural growth is straight and narrow, another reason they are called Lodge pole pines. Duplicating this natural growth pattern is boring, instead we bend the trunks, chop for taper, and otherwise shape our Larches to look like a very tiny fraction of those in nature.

Artistic license, if you will.


Will

Attached Images

cascade 1.jpg (38.3 KB, 78 views)

My comments here may not have any basis in reality, but I can visualise a cliff with a water fall. As with the cliffs housing the connifers we know and have seen photos of the tropical has rooted some way down on a small ledge. As it grew the constant down draft caused by the cascading water forces the downward (cascading) growth of the little tree as it strugles to servive.
Just a glimpse into the wanderings of my mind.

Edd

I think another thing that has to be mentioned here is the fact that a bonsai is not a copy of a tree in nature. It is a representation of a tree, an image.
Who says that a tropical tree has to represent a tropical tree?

Regards

Mike

I would suspect that for a bonsai tree to be credible it should for the most part mimic the same tree in nature. I think realism is an apt term to describe bonsai. For instance I've yet to see a pine or juniper tree in the broom style, nor a tropical in bunjin style. Yuji Yoshimura in 'the art of bonsai' states: "When deciding on the shape of a bonsai, it is essential to study the tree carefully from the point of view of its species and natural form." Harry Tomlinson in 'The Complete Book Of Bonsai' states: "Bonsai, although a Japanese word, is used and understood throughout the world. There is no convenient English translation: "a tree or shrub trained and pruned in such a way as to resemble a full-size tree, grown in a shallow container for artistic effect and as an impression of nature" is an accurate but not very concise definition". In my small collection of bonsai books the words nature and natural are often mentioned regarding the style and shape of bonsai trees. I personally would not like to see a ficus in full cascade. I believe it would appear to be an unnatural and unrealistic representation of the tree, but that's just my preference. IMO bonsai is art but art is not necessarily bonsai, if that makes any sense. Who says a pine has to represent a pine? No one that I'm aware of but how many pines do you see shaped as broom style elms? Ultimately I guess it is just a matter of personal taste.

I had a very natural buttonwood cascade. It endured a decades in the swamp, but (understandably) couldn't survive a couple of California winters and ant infestations.

Regards,

Matt

Would that not exclude a lot of plants from use for bonsai (i.e. Spirea, Vines, Ivy, Cotoneaster, Berberis, etc)?



I think Harry Tomlinson has got a good definition. I have met and spoken to him on many occasions at our club meetings (Harry is the chairman of the East Midlands Bonsai Society) and I know from attending his workshops and discussions that it is the final image that counts. If the design of the tree is carried out well no one will go on to see if the tree would grow like that in nature. The design has to be convincing though. Thats were ART and BONSAI meet.

Regards

Mike

Hi Mike, I totally agree with your statements, but I believe there is a limit to the extremes one may go to present certain species of trees in an unnatural form. I also believe a cascading tropical tree goes beyond that limit. I'm sorry but I just don't think a tropical tree in cascade form would be legitimate or convincing. If it were would we not see more of them? Of course the buttonwood which Matt brought up is an exception, but, (sorry Matt) it is an oddball in the tropical world much like the bald cypress is an oddball in the deciduous world. But what about the many viewers who already know how the tree grows in nature and won't need to "go on". In my opinion that is poor philosophy. You can fool some of the people some of the time......

"artistic license"-Will.

"wandering of my mind"- Edd.

"who says that a tropical tree has to represent a tropical tree?"-Mike.
"it is a representation of a tree, "- Mike.
"the design has to be convincing though"-Mike.

" but I beleve there is a limit to the extremes one may go to present certain species of trees in an unnatural form" -Sauce.

So what is the take !