Kaizen Blog

[BobbyLane]

From time to time i do check the blog or the latest products.
Ive often came across this difficult Elm on the website, i wouldnt buy it myself. but i guess its been sitting around for quite long and Potter decided to work on it. i think its quite the transformation, the styling isnt my cup of tea but i guess it works for the tree and will likely sell quicker in the current state which i assume was Graham's reasons for working the difficult material.

What would you have done with this difficult material? the carving job i didnt see coming and i might not of thought of it. but these are the kind of transformations ive come across that have helped me to see material in a different light over the years. so this will stick in my memory and one day maybe ill have a piece of material that requires something drastic like this.

Understand this wont be to everyones taste but i think a very boring, difficult piece now has some interest and character, certainly made it into a talking point

Graham Potter | Kaizen Bonsai Blog

Graham Potter renowned bonsai teacher and owner of Kaizen Bonsai shares his knowledge on his blog for everything Bonsai.

www.kaizenbonsai.com

 

[BobbyLane]

What would the next step be? i see the low right branch maybe becoming a cascading branch? let it fill out and become a key feature of the canopy...sit the tree on a slab?

i guess the option is still there to bring everything up n out....ascending branches, would that improve the tree or is best left this way?

 

[JeffS73]

Hi Bobby. I saw this too. I think Graham has set up a really interesting scenario for the weather to get into the wood, then the tree will start to express itself, which in itself seems to be one of his styling tools. From spade handle to who knows what, fascinating!

 

[BobbyLane]

Spade handle was the correct term
yeh overtime parts will rot away and if one didnt know, it would just look like nature did this.
dead wood hardener can be used to preserve the wood. its somewhat a bit of a myth now that dead wood wont last with the numerous wood preservatives available today. it will last a long time even without treating.

any spade handles about? bring em out, bring em out

 

[JeffS73]

Spade handle was the correct term
yeh overtime parts will rot away and if one didnt know, it would just look like nature did this.

I saw the blog update right after reading your big belly hornbeam thread and thought wow, look at these guys creating trees like nature in the UK, very nice.

He's taken something dull and turned it into something dynamic, dependent on the weather, like using nature but accelerated due to size. I think borderline genius, but we will have to wait and see what happens! That stub on the right, what happens if the carved area fills with water and freezes? Exciting work.

 

[BobbyLane]

I saw the blog update right after reading your big belly hornbeam thread and thought wow, look at these guys creating trees like nature in the UK, very nice.

He's taken something dull and turned it into something dynamic, dependent on the weather, like using nature but accelerated due to size. I think borderline genius, but we will have to wait and see what happens! That stub on the right, what happens if the carved area fills with water and freezes? Exciting work.

He's created a hole on the other side so the water will just trickle out

 

[JeffS73]

Ha! Well OK, maybe I got over excited
Thanks for showing me Bobby, I will simmer down and see how it progresses.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Bonsai 101: It's all about the nebari.

Don't get me wrong, I think all the carving work is interesting, and it is cool to see someone trying to make something out of this material. However without a decent nebari it is still just a stick in a pot... albeit a very fat stick. It is a case of someone trying really hard to make something look like a bonsai... instead of looking like a tree in nature on a miniature scale.

 

[BobbyLane]

Indeed Mr Nut, this will never have a good nebari, so what could we do? maybe tilt the tree towards the right to give the appearance of a wide, grounded base..the right side will need to make contact with the soil. i think this only works on a slab.

yes well what Potter did here, is what most would struggle with, which is why its been sitting for so long. i think that someone who loves a bonsai will buy this tree now and cherish it.

its been styled with a 'quick' canopy or silhouette, that many will relate to because not everybody has the same tastes right. there are many who would style their deciduous trees like this. its more like a larch? but that is ok for many.

 

[MrWunderful]

I think he did an excellent job of adding movement to it, for what its worth.

 

[BobbyLane]

I think he did an excellent job of adding movement to it, for what its worth.

not easy to do with material like this. Will baddely is great at this too, putting movement into trees where there was none, with carving and styling. i think people can learn from these concepts.

 

[Lutonian]

Not every tree has to look like the species would in the wild. I thing Potter has done a good job bringing this difficult piece of material forward thus making easier to sell.

 

[leatherback]

any spade handles about? bring em out, bring em out

Good enough?

 

[BobbyLane]

Maybe we need to start a thread entitled 'Dig deep, show us your spade handles'

Mine

 

[MrWunderful]

not easy to do with material like this. Will baddely is great at this too, putting movement into trees where there was none, with carving and styling. i think people can learn from these concepts.

I agree. Using carving to add dynamic movement on deciduous is never done. If I ever get my hands on similar material, I will try to apply that.

 

[BobbyLane]

Cheap scots pine material on kaizen £80 for this lot

 

[Lutonian]

Cheap scots pine material on kaizen £80 for this lot
View attachment 344661

Kaizen have more Scott's on sale in the bargain basement section starting at £68 for three trees. Also they aren't shipping to EU at the moment

 

[leatherback]

Also they aren't shipping to EU at the moment

yeah, thats a problem

 

[Lutonian]

Brexit blip I think after the dust settles they will start shipping to EU again

 

[leatherback]

Brexit blip I think after the dust settles they will start shipping to EU again

Yup. But then his trees will be 30% more expensive due to import fees, and I will have to go to a customs office, 1hr drive away as goods are not cleared without the owner present.
Brexit will mean an end to ordering from the UK for me. Not worth the extra money nor effort.