Shimpaku from Evergreen Gardenworks

[Bonsai Nut]

I’m not great at carving, and I’m going really slow because I think carving is what boxed me into the over-simplified tree I have to work with now. I’ll definitely keep working on it slowly over time.

Try using just jin pliers. It will give you a much more organic / natural look because the wood will naturally separate along the grain. It is far too easy, with power tools, to cut across the grain and end up with something that looks wonky.

 

[Vance Wood]

Try using just jin pliers. It will give you a much more organic / natural look because the wood will naturally separate along the grain. It is far too easy, with power tools, to cut across the grain and end up with something that looks wonky.

I use power tools to get down to a level that I need to start detailing. Then I go to hand tools that will provide the correct type of detail revealing the grain.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here is a nice shot I got this AM when the sun happened to be shining for 30 seconds.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

And another good shot from this AM of the other side...just 3 months later.

 

[wireme]

And another good shot from this AM of the other side...just 3 months later.
View attachment 256044

Been waiting three months months for another bit of morning sunshine?

 

[River's Edge]

Here is a nice shot I got this AM when the sun happened to be shining for 30 seconds.
View attachment 239618

My choice would be this front. I would shorten the jin up top in the middle of the foliage. Add some Shari to the live vein in the straight section on the left with some curve to it. Just a smaller section of Shari.
Then i would work with the deadwood on the right to balance the flow. I would consider the reduction to almost removal of the angular upper jin on the right.
That being said i like the options on either side and must admit to a bias that does not favour straight jins in juniper

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

carving is what boxed me into the over-simplified tree I have to work with now.

Curious, Brian, if you had to do over, how would you have done it differently? Sounds like you would want a more complex design. Can you elaborate a bit on that? I'm looking at a purchase similar to this and am thinking through different design options. I think your current design is very nice. Again, just struck by your "over-simplified" comment. Thanks in advance!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Curious, Brian, if you had to do over, how would you have done it differently? Sounds like you would want a more complex design. Can you elaborate a bit on that? I'm looking at a purchase similar to this and am thinking through different design options. I think your current design is very nice. Again, just struck by your "over-simplified" comment. Thanks in advance!

Well, it goes back to the first Shari I put into the right trunk, here:

and the dead spot is outlined in red below. I should have started with exposing the dead spot first:

instead, I was hung up on the idea of creating a spiral Shari on that trunk, like this:

notice how even in the virt I cut across the dead spot, basically girdling the trunk and the left side of the right trunk. Had I worked with what the tree had to start with, I could have made a spiral in the opposite direction, and preserved another live vein. Look at the difference below, had I carved the red area, the green areas would still be live veins, and I’d have more branches to work with and a more interesting trunk.

and it would look a bit more like this now, maybe even with something alive on the left first branch...although I’m not sure I could have kept much of it because it didn’t have any taper.

 

[0soyoung]

Interesting, useful anaylysis @Brian Van Fleet.

Thanks.

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

Well, it goes back to the first Shari I put into the right trunk, here:
View attachment 272485
and the dead spot is outlined in red below. I should have started with exposing the dead spot first:
View attachment 272486
instead, I was hung up on the idea of creating a spiral Shari on that trunk, like this:
View attachment 272488
notice how even in the virt I cut across the dead spot, basically girdling the trunk and the left side of the right trunk. Had I worked with what the tree had to start with, I could have made a spiral in the opposite direction, and preserved another live vein. Look at the difference below, had I carved the red area, the green areas would still be live veins, and I’d have more branches to work with and a more interesting trunk.
View attachment 272491
and it would look a bit more like this now, maybe even with something alive on the left first branch...although I’m not sure I could have kept much of it because it didn’t have any taper.
View attachment 272490

Fantastic. Thank you.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Worked on this one over the weekend. Here are a few progression shots...might have to name this one the Covid Cobra
Before:

Thinned out:

Wiring underway:




Finished...for now...

 

[Dav4]

Sharp!!

 

[leatherback]

Finished...for now...

Lazy bum. Did not even clean up the deadwood.
Now THAT would have made this an amazing tree. Now it is just great.

 

[River's Edge]

Well, it goes back to the first Shari I put into the right trunk, here:
View attachment 272485
and the dead spot is outlined in red below. I should have started with exposing the dead spot first:
View attachment 272486
instead, I was hung up on the idea of creating a spiral Shari on that trunk, like this:
View attachment 272488
notice how even in the virt I cut across the dead spot, basically girdling the trunk and the left side of the right trunk. Had I worked with what the tree had to start with, I could have made a spiral in the opposite direction, and preserved another live vein. Look at the difference below, had I carved the red area, the green areas would still be live veins, and I’d have more branches to work with and a more interesting trunk.
View attachment 272491
and it would look a bit more like this now, maybe even with something alive on the left first branch...although I’m not sure I could have kept much of it because it didn’t have any taper.
View attachment 272490

Nice analysis, I like the concept of a second live vein on the right side, concur the lower left shape is problematic if retained for the overall design.
Stresses the importance of determining the shari when beginning the design! I have an almost identical tree from Telperion that I am slowly sorting out. First steps were to create a better root base to promote a more vertical stance for the tree. Thanks for the notations.

 

[just.wing.it]

This must be one of the best progression transformation threads on Bnut!
Its a real beauty Brian!

 

[Lazylightningny]

Beautiful finished (for now) product!

 

[Nybonsai12]

Would you say your wiring has improved a lot since the start of this thread? This last image is fantastic, super clean, precise...love it.

what is the back branch coming out at the same level as the first branch on the front of the trunk? it kind of sits right in that open gap under the apex?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Would you say your wiring has improved a lot since the start of this thread? This last image is fantastic, super clean, precise...love it.

what is the back branch coming out at the same level as the first branch on the front of the trunk? it kind of sits right in that open gap under the apex?

Thanks. Yes, my wiring has improved, just like anything with practice I guess. Its funny but I didn’t wire this tree for the first 2 years I had it, until maybe 2013 for the first time, which was mostly Bjorn...and again with him in 2017, when he again did most of it. This most recent styling is all my work.

That branch, assuming you’re taking about this, is just a jin I need to shorten so it doesn’t create a loop from this angle. Looks goofy in the photos for sure.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Night shot...

 

[Nybonsai12]

Thanks. Yes, my wiring has improved, just like anything with practice I guess. Its funny but I didn’t wire this tree for the first 2 years I had it, until maybe 2013 for the first time, which was mostly Bjorn...and again with him in 2017, when he again did most of it. This most recent styling is all my work.

That branch, assuming you’re taking about this, is just a jin I need to shorten so it doesn’t create a loop from this angle. Looks goofy in the photos for sure.
View attachment 293224

Bjorn would be proud of your most recent styling I'm sure. It's very indicative of his influence.

Yes that jin! It's the only thing that my eyes weren't comfortable with. I think if that spot were open space it would help with the image, just my .02.