A literati style Scots in my future?

[Vance Wood]

I know what you are going through. That's why when I find pots I like that don't cost more than a chevy I will buy them. you never know when you will make the right tree for the pot, or have the right pot for the tree.

 

[Vance Wood]

That's what drew me to this style too. They look like trees I actually see, even in the city.

That's odd, it goes to show you that sometimes these people that write the bonsai books must not look at the world around them. More than once I have come accros the quote that the Literati style does not imitate real trees in nature it is just a kind of surrealistic representation of a tree under extreme conditions.

 

[GGB]

@Vance Wood you got me. The trees of Quingquan Zhao and others don't always looks completely natural BUT if you were to style a scots pine to look like a couple city workers whacked it away from some telephone wires the only classification you could put it in would be literati. Maybe I just outted myself for abusing an ancient art/classification. Or the junipers that get brutalized every winter because they're the only thing over 2 feet tall in a field.. to replicate the torment leaves you with a tree that roughly falls into the category

 

[Vance Wood]

@Vance Wood you got me. The trees of Quingquan Zhao and others don't always looks completely natural BUT if you were to style a scots pine to look like a couple city workers whacked it away from some telephone wires the only classification you could put it in would be literati. Maybe I just outted myself for abusing an ancient art/classification. Or the junipers that get brutalized every winter because they're the only thing over 2 feet tall in a field.. to replicate the torment leaves you with a tree that roughly falls into the category

Good points all. That's the problem,--- this form does exist naturally, just not in nature if you get my meaning.

 

[GGB]

Absolutely @Vance Wood , I think that was my break through this year. I think it's important or nearly mandatory to follow the rules of bonsai aesthetics to create a good looking tree but as far as clasifications go I'd like to choose "other". I respect and love the traditional, but for sake of my enjoyment of the hobby and as a chance to add my personal twist I think I will be imitating relatively young and mildly tortured trees. Literati is the closest word I have, maybe I'll move past this phase/idea and get to the real stuff but for now it speaks to me. I feel like I see it a lot in Canadian bonsai, haha but I won't even start that debate

 

[wireme]

I feel like I see it a lot in Canadian bonsai, haha

I don't know what you're talking about!!

Actually really don't but I just took a pic of a young midly abused thing so..,

 

[GGB]

@wireme species? I don't recognize that one. i like where its headed.

 

[wireme]

@wireme species? I don't recognize that one. i like where its headed.

Thanks, lodgepole pine.

 

[PiñonJ]

That's odd, it goes to show you that sometimes these people that write the bonsai books must not look at the world around them. More than once I have come accros the quote that the Literati style does not imitate real trees in nature it is just a kind of surrealistic representation of a tree under extreme conditions.

Most bonsai forms exist in nature, if you search long enough. Here are some Pitch Pines on Cape Cod that this tree reminds me of.

 

[M. Frary]

Did it up today.
Little raffia,a little vet wrap,some fat copper wire and this is what I did.
I'm no weakling by any means but this wire is stiff! I was glad for the kung fu grip I possess.
The smallest just got wrapped in raffia and vet wrap then 2 wires were applied to the outside.
The larger trunk had a wire wrapped along the trunk then wrapped with vet wrap then double wire applied in regular style.
I'll get a better picture on another day.
It looks great!

 

[Ingvill]

Love the way you have evolved this one so far, please keep us updated

 

[just.wing.it]

Nice work sir!
It does look great!

 

[Djtommy]

It’s a nice tree but those 2 trunks look like they don’t want to be friends going each their own direction.
Is it possible to separate them? Maybe not, but in that case you should make them work together better or remove the smaller one. Also for literati, less is more. Foliage below 50,60% of the height does not add anything but chaos unless offcourse the apex is lower the the top.
Here some literati for inspiration
The one on the table is backside but I think you can see what I mean
The bottom one needs some wiring obviously

 

[Wilson]

Looks great Mike! I can picture spotting these as I paddle across a lake in northern Ontario, natural beauty!

 

[my nellie]

Nice going, Mike!
I would like some more photos from different angles, if possible...

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Great job Mike, learning to wrap, add straight wire, wrap again, then the double wire helix coil, all a more advanced technique, good to get practice at it.

I like the literati style you have going. Agree with others that small trunk needs to be brought closer, and have a bend or curve or branch arrangement that mirrors the movement of the larger. Unify the image. Right now they look like a couple that just had a fight, ready to file for divorce.

As to reducing the amount of foliage, the whole composition is quite young, keep as much foliage as you can, it will help thicken the trunks. Later as the trunks get to the "perfect diameter" you can jin the extra branches, and as deadwood, they will have the right shape. So keep all the branches you got on the larger trunk. The smaller trunk, you want to keep small, so you can reduce it's foliage sooner.

Nice pine I like it.

 

[M. Frary]

remove the smaller one

That'll never happen.

Looks great Mike! I can picture spotting these as I paddle across a lake in northern Ontario, natural beauty!

It looks like a lot of trees around here.
Thanks.

Nice going, Mike!
I would like some more photos from different angles, if possible...

I'll take some better pictures this weekend.

 

[M. Frary]

Great job Mike, learning to wrap, add straight wire, wrap again, then the double wire helix coil, all a more advanced technique, good to get practice at it.

The first time I did this was last year with Vance on a Mugo I got from him.
But I've gone through all of the Stacy Muse heavy bending threads too. I want to try cutting channels into juniper trunks next.
I want to bend everything now.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Did it up today.
Little raffia,a little vet wrap,some fat copper wire and this is what I did.
I'm no weakling by any means but this wire is stiff! I was glad for the kung fu grip I possess.
The smallest just got wrapped in raffia and vet wrap then 2 wires were applied to the outside.
The larger trunk had a wire wrapped along the trunk then wrapped with vet wrap then double wire applied in regular style.
I'll get a better picture on another day.View attachment 190773
It looks great!

Much better.

 

[M. Frary]

It got its first pot this weekend.
Vance and I popped it in this round.
Dont worry @sorce so it isn't the final pot for it.
One from you is going to be it.
This one is to try to restrain it some. You know what I got going on with growth.