WARREN HILL JAPANESE MAPLE CLUMP

[MACH5]

Starting a thread of this Japanese maple originally created by Warren Hill. I purchased this tree from Owen Reich last year who was selling it for a client of his. This is a "Hillstock" maple, which is a small leaf variety selected and grown by Warren over the years. He developed this clump style maple over a period of 40 years container grown the whole time. Admittedly I am a sucker for clump style trees and it does have a nice looking nebari. By the "rules", this is actually not a true clump since all the trees have fused to form one thick trunk and then divide 4" up from soil level. This bonsai reminds me quite a bit of the many sugar maples and other deciduous trees that grow in my area.

Below is the tree as offered. It needed quite a bit of pruning and cleaning. The main problem was that the apex of the two main trunks had become too strong and out of scale, beginning to weaken the low parts of the tree. I also considered cutting it all back to short, thick trunks and build a more stout and powerful tree out of that. However, I decided to keep it tall as it was originally intended.






Here is the tree after the initial work. This is just a start and much more to come. The apex of the tallest tree was completely removed and with some raffia and heavy gage copper wire a side branch was brought all the way up to create a new top and improve taper. It was also rotated to exposed a new front and try and highlight its best qualities. The container is not meant to be final but not bad looking at all I think. Next year I intend to wire the entire tree. It stands almost 30" tall from soil level with a 3" trunk.






Here is the tree in leaf and doing very well after having its roots drastically reduced at the time of repotting.

 

[M. Frary]

I too am a sucker for a clump. This tree is way cool.

 

[whfarro]

Very nice indeed. I agree it does remind me of the sugar maples found around here. Nice work cleaning up the apex.

I think I like the oval pot better though.

Yet another one of your threads that I'll put on my watch list.

 

[0soyoung]

Lovely but for that branch/trunk on the far left - just dont' like it, at all. It is incongruous. It is attention grabbing. It is irritating. Sometimes this kind of stuff is a good thing, but in this case I don't think you can make it into a postive, Mach. I think there will come a day that you loose it.

... just sayin'

 

[j evans]

I agree the lowest branch on the left is too low and too big. A smaller branch up a bit higher I think would look better, maybe coming out from the trunk the way the one on the right does. A bit higher than the one on the right. Great tree though and I like the work that you have done.

 

[MACH5]

Lovely but for that branch/trunk on the far left - just dont' like it, at all. It is incongruous. It is attention grabbing. It is irritating. Sometimes this kind of stuff is a good thing, but in this case I don't think you can make it into a postive, Mach. I think there will come a day that you loose it.

... just sayin'

Haha Oso I feel exactly the opposite. This branch to me is key in the design. It adds scale diversity and gives the tree a lower center of gravity making it visually "more stable". However, I would like, with the aid of a brace or with some heavy gage wire, to bend it in order to give it a bit more movement. I also want to thicken the very base of it so that it flows a bit better right into the trunk. I will work with it for a couple of years and see. You may be right and then decide to cut it off. I suppose there is always time for that.

Regardless thank you for the feedback!

 

[JudyB]

Almost had this one... glad it went to you. Will be watching this, and to me, if you can move that back toward the trunk at all, it would be better.

 

[Don Blackmond]

looks like the bones of a right hand

i like the rotation effect on the base but not on the 2 main trunks - too long an parallel. that said, i realize its 2d and there's probably a lot more going on in 3d

 

[BethF]

Nice tree with a lot of history. You've done good work with the apex, and the adjustments to the front compliment the overall tree. Please keep us posted over time.

 

[Adair M]

I agree with Don. I'm not sure the rotation of the front did it any favors. To me, it shows the lack of taper in the two main trunks, and they're so parallel... I think I like the original front better.

I do like the work done on the apex.

The primary flaw is that both the two tall trunks are nearly identical in height and caliper. One should be taller and thicker than the other.

If anyone can fix it, it would be you, Mach! The tree is in good hands!

 

[Giga]

I like the front and all the work you did-the only thing I would do is maybe cut a small wedge in the left main trunk about halfway up. and then bend it down and it would fix the parallelness and grow a sacrifice to thicken it slightly, and help heal the wedge bend.

You do amazing things with these so I know it'll be awesome either way!

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Like the tree, Mach, and I, too, agree with Don, three. I imagine that as this tree gets refined the viewer will get a sense of energy surging from the center of the tree; radiating out like a lightning burst. This tree has characteristics like some of the brooms in nature that I've seen, and it's similar to some of the trees WP posted in this thread of page 8.

 

[AboveBeyond]

Very cool tree Mach. I look forward to seeing it's progression.

 

[MACH5]

I had a feeling that this tree would elicit a lot of reactions. There are great insights and comments made and I always appreciate them very much! Wether I agree with them or not, I still find them all incredibly helpful.

 

[MACH5]

Almost had this one... glad it went to you. Will be watching this, and to me, if you can move that back toward the trunk at all, it would be better.

I get the feeling you and I look a lot at the same trees! I have been playing around with this little trunk to see what I can do. Very stiff but I am sure I can do something with it. I agree, moving it closer and then out may be an improvement. I am keen in trying to make it work. Although I got the sense that if I snapped off by accident, Osoyoung would be thrilled!!

 

[JudyB]

Seems to be the case! If you can't move it, just cut it short, it'll pop a bud that you can continue on. Or you could try the v notch approach, I'd be interested to see if that would work...

 

[MACH5]

looks like the bones of a right hand

i like the rotation effect on the base but not on the 2 main trunks - too long an parallel. that said, i realize its 2d and there's probably a lot more going on in 3d

Hmmm interesting! I am usually pretty good at picking that sort of stuff up, but have to say that the "right hand bones" thing never came up. It's amazing what different things we all can see in images.

Yes the parallel issue I think can/should be resolved. I am not bothered so much by their length at the moment although this could change in the future.

 

[barrosinc]

The lower left branch does seem stuck on there (like a thread graft), hard to explain but it doesn't seem to transition well to it maybe because it is out of proportion maybe compared to the main trunks/branches at the top?

 

[MACH5]

I agree with Don. I'm not sure the rotation of the front did it any favors. To me, it shows the lack of taper in the two main trunks, and they're so parallel... I think I like the original front better.

I do like the work done on the apex.

The primary flaw is that both the two tall trunks are nearly identical in height and caliper. One should be taller and thicker than the other.

If anyone can fix it, it would be you, Mach! The tree is in good hands!

I am at the moment addressing the thickness of the trunks by employing and combining a couple a few different techniques. I will say that the parallel issue bothers me more than the almost (or very subtle) lack of taper. I see this a bit like one would a forest composition, where individual "flaws" of each tree are secondary to overall image.

Thank you for your vote of confidence. I may never get this one right though.

 

[MACH5]

I like the front and all the work you did-the only thing I would do is maybe cut a small wedge in the left main trunk about halfway up. and then bend it down and it would fix the parallelness and grow a sacrifice to thicken it slightly, and help heal the wedge bend.

You do amazing things with these so I know it'll be awesome either way!

Yes sacrifice branch is one way I will use to thicken that trunk a bit more. I may not cut a wedge, but perhaps with the help of a brace I can bend it. I am pretty sure it can be done.