Mother Nature's Artwork For Inspiration. Please help inspire.

Attmos

Attmos

Shohin
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I have seen it said a million times here, "Look at trees in the wild for inspiration or direction."... or some version of it. I thought it would be fun and beneficial for everyone, to post pictures of Mother Nature's artwork. Pictures of trees in natural settings that represent the type of movement and structure that are appealing for Bonsai Artists to recreate...
Show us Nature Made inspirational pictures, doesn't matter the species or even where the picture came from.

These are Cottonwood, just west of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. Cottonwood aren't popular for Bonsai, but they do take some amazing forms in the wild.

1748203760491.webp
 
rockm said:
Towering Chinquapin Oak. Biggest one in Va. on the Shenandoah River
Click to expand...
With all due respect, and I mean that...

I was hoping to show some of the inspiring forms that trees take due to nature or human intervention over time. Just as an example for people to see the varied and beautiful shapes that trees can take, and use them to create their own.

Inspiration for us newbies I guess. :)
 
Attmos said:
With all due respect, and I mean that...

I was hoping to show some of the inspiring forms that trees take due to nature or human intervention over time. Just as an example for people to see the varied and beautiful shapes that trees can take, and use them to create their own.

Inspiration for us newbies I guess. :)
Click to expand...
you’re not seeing the forest for the trees. The base of this old oak is a pretty good inspiration to use with bonsai. The base of a bonsai is the heart of the bonsai the form above it takes it cue from the first third of the trunk

What can you see from this example that can inspire bonsai? Plenty if you look
The way the roots emerge from the ground and proportion of the trunk to that spread in the ground. Angles of Emergence of the first branching and where those branches emerge. You can pretty much “feel” what the rest of the tree looks like from this limited view. Most people think of oaks as spreading. This one is growing bolt upright although it leans because the river has undercut the roots in the river side while the bank side roots hold the tree up.
There’s a lot going on here. All you have to do is look.
 
rockm said:
you’re not seeing the forest for the trees. The base of this old oak is a pretty good inspiration to use with bonsai. The base of a bonsai is the heart of the bonsai the form above it takes it cue from the first third of the trunk

What can you see from this example that can inspire bonsai? Plenty if you look
The way the roots emerge from the ground and proportion of the trunk to that spread in the ground. Angles of Emergence of the first branching and where those branches emerge. You can pretty much “feel” what the rest of the tree looks like from this limited view. Most people think of oaks as spreading. This one is growing bolt upright although it leans because the river has undercut the roots in the river side while the bank side roots hold the tree up.
There’s a lot going on here. All you have to do is look.
Click to expand...
I was gonna say that the base does have nice movement. :)

And I'm sorry. I'm not yet confident or knowledgeable enough to identify it as an example to follow.
 
rockm said:
you’re not seeing the forest for the trees. The base of this old oak is a pretty good inspiration to use with bonsai. The base of a bonsai is the heart of the bonsai the form above it takes it cue from the first third of the trunk

What can you see from this example that can inspire bonsai? Plenty if you look
The way the roots emerge from the ground and proportion of the trunk to that spread in the ground. Angles of Emergence of the first branching and where those branches emerge. You can pretty much “feel” what the rest of the tree looks like from this limited view. Most people think of oaks as spreading. This one is growing bolt upright although it leans because the river has undercut the roots in the river side while the bank side roots hold the tree up.
There’s a lot going on here. All you have to do is look.
Click to expand...
Which is, ironically, why I asked people to help post pictures... lol

Again, I am sorry. :) And thank you.
 
Last edited:
leatherback said:
You are aware of the parallel thread?
gallina1594

Thread 'Big trees that make you say, "It's like a giant bonsai"'

Does anyone else walk around and see full grown trees and thin, "Damn, that would be an impressive bonsai if I could shrink it with my shrink ray"

Well if you're weird like me, post em!15033231238201433414296.jpg
  • Like
Click to expand...
No... and I looked. Thanks. I'll definitely take a look. Great Title.

I can't exactly delete this thread, so I think I'll continue anyway if you'd like to help... 😁
 
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