Lorax7 Shimpaku Juniper #4 progression

[Lorax7]

Forgot to take a “before” picture. I’ve had this Shimpaku for a year or two but hadn’t previously done anything to it besides repotting and creating a few jin. Started on creating some shari and wired up a few of the branches to get some movement in them while it’s still relatively easy to do.
Summer 2022:

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

In the fall, if I were you, I'd try to get some bends in those trunks. The bottom left one for instance is bent, but it looks bent like a bow. Getting that wiggle in there, that elegance, is one of the hardest things in older juniper wood. Setting branches is pretty easy after that, because the trunk will tell you which ones it wants or needs.
Reducing the tree by cutting down a couple trunks - as well as reducing the height - can really help you forwards. I used to be afraid to do so, I still am with one sabina I own. Because it means sacrificing something that has been grown for years.. But when that hurdle is out of the way, I think you can do serious magic.

 

[Lorax7]

In the fall, if I were you, I'd try to get some bends in those trunks. The bottom left one for instance is bent, but it looks bent like a bow. Getting that wiggle in there, that elegance, is one of the hardest things in older juniper wood. Setting branches is pretty easy after that, because the trunk will tell you which ones it wants or needs.
Reducing the tree by cutting down a couple trunks - as well as reducing the height - can really help you forwards. I used to be afraid to do so, I still am with one sabina I own. Because it means sacrificing something that has been grown for years.. But when that hurdle is out of the way, I think you can do serious magic.

That left branch is more curvy than it appears in the photo I posted previously. Here are a couple more views:



I put about as much curve into it as I could, at least with only a single wrap of copper wire. I could probably get a bit more curve to hold if I were to go back and double wrap that branch with a second strand of copper. For sure, I’m not done with all the bending that I’ll do on it.

As for why I’m keeping the long branches long for now, my rationale is that I intend to make extensive use of shari for this tree. Basically, this tree is going to be my experiment in incrementally developing deadwood features over a sustained period of years, with the incremental carving of the deadwood actually driving the lateral growth of the branches. I’m aiming to make crazy ribbons of deadwood with live veins on either side of dual shari.