spruces - part 5

1) the weirdest spruce, I love it, 60 cm, pot Chinese, I will think about the pot.
2) another weird one, 60 cm, Chinese pot
3) this oen is very finished. It might be exhibited soon, 45 cm wide, pot by Axel Brockmann
4) cool small spruce, 28 cm, pot by Horst Heinzleiter?
5) another small one, 32 cm, pot by Axesl Brockmann
Don't think that these are all spruces. There are more than 50 with a good future.

spruces - part 4

1) a really high one, about 90 cm, still in mica pot. Some branches will eventually go
2) This is a rather finished done, 65 cm, Chinese pot; it wil be exhibited next year
3) still in development, 65 cm, Chinese pot
4) in development, 45 cm, Japanese pot
5) rather finished, 60 cm, pot Japanese
6) same tree, maybe better front?
7) totally different shape, 65 cm, pot by Josef Mairhofer

promising hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna, European hawthorn, 60 cm high, collected in England, this clump is quite promising. I know, most would not have much of a clue what to do with it. But trust me, this will be a killer bonsai. Next spring we will start major styling.

Scots pines

1) 25 cm, pot by Derek Aspinall collected in Austria
2) 17 cm, shohin, pot Czech, collected in Austria
3) 18 cm, shohin, pot Ian Bailly, collected in Austria

promising small lodgepole pine

Pinus contorta, Lodgepole pine, collected in Canada
potential shohin, great pot by Peter Krebs

1) fall 2006
2) and 3) two sides in July 2007

spruces - part 3

1) 45 cm, pot by Mrs. Busch
2) ezo spruce, Picea jezoensis, 50 cm, pot by Ian Bailly
3) 15 cm, shohin, pot Japan

controversial larch

It is hard to believe. This larch has caused one of the most radical controversies on the IBC gallery. It was one of the reasons why I have left this inhospitable place. Those who had the big mouth then have fallen into oblivion since. Well, this larch is still around. If it continues like this I will even get it onto the Gingko Award. We'll see.

Larix decidua, European larch, 55 cm high, training pot by Derek Aspinall. The long needles are OK during the development phase. Eventually they will be much shorter.

spruces - part 3

Picea abies, European spruce or Norway spruce, 55 cm high, still in mica pot.
This one was collected in 1995. It originally had almost no deadwood. The deadwood appeard only a couple of years ago. It was hanging around and always was for sale, but nobody wanted it. Well, now with al the deadwood I wanted it. David agreed to style it. His concept was to cut off the thick lower branche because it was so stiff an horizontal. I wanted to leave this braanch. It was clear that it would be very difficult to integrate this horizontal branch into a crown with branches flowng down in a rather sharp angle as spruces do. So I cut deep into the branch right at the junction with the trunk. This is quite risky, of course, but I have done this before successfully at numerous occasions. Well, if the branch does not survie then the tree has decided about it's shape. Then David did not like it anymore. So I continued this myself. Here the result for the time being. I like to only do the major branches at the first run-through. Now I will leave the tree alone for a few weeks, maybe months. We'll see what happens and continue wiring then. David has not yet seen this.

spruces - part 2

1) 40 cm, pot by Derek Aspinall
2) 35 cm, pot by Derek Aspinall
3) 30 cm, pot by Drek Aspinall,now this is an unusual non-bonsai like shape
4) 30 cm, pot by JOsef Mairhofer
5) 55 cm, pot Japanese
6) 18 cm, shohin, pot by Axel Brockmann

spruces - part 1

All Picea abies, European spruce, also called Norway spruce, all collected

1) 40 cm high, pot by Willaim Vlaanderen
2) 40 cm high, stone from Germany
3) with moose
4) moose
5) 65 cm high, pot Japan

See my statements at:

http://internetbonsaiclub.org/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=133&topic=22126.15

"Robert,

I was the one who has entered trees 'without a pot'. Well, this was a statement. And sure enough the spruce forest got points from some judges.
I think that it does not matter whether a container is of clay, porcellaine, glass or stone or anything else. If bonsai is art then it is our duty to innovate. We can also innovate containers. If only standard pots are acceptable then it is not art. I think the theme of the Certe Award should be "best combination of tree and CONTAINER".

Look at the first picture. The 'stone' is of clay. It is also a 'pot' done by a potter, namely William Vlaanderen. Now what is it? A pot because it is of clay or does it qualify as 'stone, because these crescent pots are supposed to resemble a stone?
And the second one: The 'stone' is of stone. But it could well be of clay done by a potter and no one would notice the difference. If I had told you that it is of clay and done by William Vlaanderen, you would have believed me.

Or does it matter? Could one not say that both combinations of tree(s) and container are pretty much ideal. I personally could not find a better container for the trees or better trees for the containers.
I think this is the only thing that should matter here. At least that is the only thing that matters to me. I will certainly submit trees on stones again at the next Certere Award. I think the Certre Award is about TASTE concerning tree AND container."