Maybe...that cascading branch doesn't seem to go well with the rest of the tree. I understand this is a 1-day competition tree, and it could look good down the road...but as posted, it looked very "confused" and incongruent. The tree that did win deserved the award based on the pictures I've seen.
I'm disappointed at the rush to negative judgement and character assassination that occurred here. Kathy Shaner is a very well respected bonsai artist and an excellent teacher. I've been very fortunate to have seen her talk/demo several times, and have sat in on a workshop she did on Chinese quince. She has a wealth of technical knowledge and is very good at conveying that knowledge. Brian, maybe you can speak to this since you've worked with her quite a bit - I seem to recall her saying that she didn't have a personal collection (or much of one) because of her extensive traveling and teaching schedule. That's probably why you don't see a lot of "her" trees out there.
Sorry, somehow I missed this and didn't know we were still continuing the discussion.
There for some reason seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the lower branch of my tree. I have heard this not only from Kathy ,but as well here.
If I may be quite honest, I really for the life of me don't get where the confusion lies... I haven't quite figured out if for some they have a problem with it due to the fact that Kathy said she didn't like it, and folks have heard this and are just repeating what she said just because, or if their really is an issue with the actual design that confuses them... and if so, what is it that is confusing? Putting aside for a moment, that one perhaps might of liked the tree that won better, which fine... everyone has their own views and likes, I would love to know and look into this more... Why? because as previously mentioned, I just don't understand it. I not saying this because it is my tree, I am saying it because in all logical sense, which is why I said I feel Kathy didn't know what she was talking about, for me it just baffles my mind.
Why do I say it doesn't make any sense? Because When I look at just about every other image of a cascading tree on the internet, I see a tree that for the most part resembles the tree that I had design. Yes, perhaps some of them are better... to be honest most are... but this has more to do with the material, and for the most part was out of my hands, seeing I didn't buy, or select the material... you are just given what you are given. Also, as you have mentioned the trees also look better in the photos because they have had years of development, where mine just had the first initial design from a piece of nursery material that wasn't even what anyone would actually consider Bonsai stock. Now, with this said, my question for everyone is seeing that there seems to be all this confusion, and I have folks telling me that if I had removed the lower branch I probably might have won. Where does the confusion lie? I mean as I have said, If there are numerous other folks in the world that have styled their trees in a similar fashion, why is what I have done incorrect? And is this incorrect feeling based on perhaps a lack of understanding of what or how one can style a cascade? Or lastly, does the confusion here at the Nut stem more from a wiliness to not actually like the work because I have done it? Sorry... have to ask.
So, here are some example I have pulled from the web, feel free to do a search for yourself... and let me know. Not saying this trying to insult, But honestly, I really don't get it, and would love to understand what it is that I am missing. Thanks