Twisting path
( Old Gold Juniper)
It's not easy to be able to
go further from the classical styles I learnt form the earlier training
courses, I got fixed on my mind the picture of formal upright style
(chokkan), or informal upright (moyogi), always following the same
steps: first branch, second branch, third one, and so on. In the past
when it happened to me to work on trees exceeding these characteristics,
it became difficult to obtain a potential bonsai; maybe this was the
reason why I got into mind confusion and thought during my training
period attending demonstration and workshop I wasn't able to clearly
learn the working methodology.
It was important in my opinion,
studying with different teachers; all of them can pass something on
you, but after the basic learning period it's not enough a daily workshop,
this does not allow you to learn the entire methodology for modelling
a tree from purchasing day to exhibition.
I take every advice to heart coming from evening discussions about
tree modelling analysis, this let us listening different opinion and
constructive critics and go deep in every single detail.
Working on a high number of trees, without forgetting all I learnt,
gave me the experience to create a personal working methodology, keeping
on my researches and experimenting more and more advanced techniques
not only for modelling purposes, but also for every day cultivation
aim.
Thinkin to the past I can remember the good development I got, without
deny the techincal level and knowledgr of that period. For instance,
about wiring techniques, I realize to use it a lot less and probably
in a few years, I will be amazed in the quantity I am using presently;
this can make the work more appreciable and in mean time put less
stress on the tree. Speking of the foliage, I can better select the
vegetation layers and cut the useless foliage, giving more light to
promote the growing; in the same way I try to experiment new shapes
for style modelling .
In 1996 I bought this tree
for the trunk movement: it had very poor foliage and a problem was
evident: there were two long branches, about 70-80 cm., with vegetation
only in the apex. The first one was so thin to hardly hold itself up,
the second one was thicker, rich in secondary branches but the difficulty
was to bring the foliage near the trunk.
The only possible solution was to clockwise bend the branch and then
lower it on the back size. Once the front was selected, with the help
of rafia, copper wire and a few wire guy I could realize the desired
project. I got a good proportion, thing these very important for the
aesthetic result (65 cm. height, 40 cm. width); then I placed the
branches to create the foliage layers. Next work was a meticulous
wiring of all athe little branches.
With a mill I worked out the jin making them as nice as possible,
leaving shari lines in draft situation taking my time for making them
better in two or three years, so the tree had the possibility to rest
and following the artificial limphatic veins.
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Picture # 1 - October 1997 purchasing
time, seen from the future front.
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Picture # 2 - Back.
It is very evident that the branches were too long.
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Picture # 3 - The peculiar trunk
movement. Detail of the stump, made probably during collection.
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Picture # 4 - February 1998, first
step, looking at the apex the branches bends necessary to
bring vegetation near the trunk.
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Picture # 5 - Seen from the front.
Main branches placement.
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Picture # 6 - June1998 The actual
pot made possible a rich vegetation grow. The first branch,
had to be cut for better trunk-vegetation balance.
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Picture # 7 - May 1999. A new refinement
step. More taper is given to the foliage layers, cutting
away all useless vegetation.
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Picture # 8 -
June 1999.
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