Yamadori shohin spruce

[Attila Soos]

Hello Atilla.. You are actually talking about 2 different things here.. Although a a flatter crown represents and older tree, too flat, like the one shown does not look bonsai like to me.

Nothing wrong with those pictures, except the trident maple makes me cringe. Modeling a trident after a pine looks very dated to me, more kitch than art.
Having an apex is not a problem. Most of my trees have one. But a bonsai must evoke a tree in the viewer, even if we use artificial methods. It does not have to COPY a tree, but must EVOKE one. The trident maple on the picture evokes the pyramids of Giza, in my mind, not a tree. I love the conifers though. They do have a triangular shape, but the triangles are not uniform and boring. When used creatively, triangles are a great tool. They can also be very boring, when there is no creativity in their use.
Of course, just like movies, there is a bonsai for every taste.

 

[october]

Hi Tom.. Yup,, from a little sitka spruce, we now have an informative and debate thread..but in a good way..All in all, I just think that a crown should not be necessarilly pointy. However, I do not think it should not be completely flat with no raise in the middle. I have seen these trees in nature many times. However, I believe that the flat top style is not only about age, it is actually more about the style itself.. That is has an actual flat top. Just like a cascade is a descending tree...just my opinion

Rob

 

[october]

p.s. I agree with you about the maple.. Not one of my favorites out of the ones that I posted. The conifers are beautiful though. How about this maple.

Rob

 

[Attila Soos]

Also: who said that a bonsai has to look like a bonsai ?
Sometimes, they look like trees. Just like...sometimes trees can look like bonsai..
It's good to mix them up a little, so we can have some fun. There is nothing more fun than breaking those rules.
It is easy to make a bonsai that doesn't look like a tree. It is much harder to make one that looks like a tree, while still a great bonsai. That's what I consider real art.

 

[Attila Soos]

p.s. I agree with you about the maple.. Not one of my favorites out of the ones that I posted. The conifers are beautiful though. How about this maple.

Magnificent maple! You are forgiven.

 

[Jason_mazzy]

update on this spruce?

 

[october]

Hi Jason. Thanks for asking. It is doing great.

Rob

 

[KennedyMarx]

Awesome tree, Rob.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Thanks for the update. Stunning tree.

 

[ChrisV]

Really liking that one Rob!