Two Old Pines
These two imported black pines have been through a number of hands in the United States, most notably Boon Manakitivipart, who established the basic branch framework of them. A client owns them.
The refinement work shown here is typical of that applied to very established conifers. Both trees’ key branches needed shortening, having slowly grown too long over years of proper maintenance, and they were shortened several inches. Otherwise the adjustments from the before and after photos are very subtle. The foliage pads are wired and set so as to create small groups—modular sections of larger groups—and wired straight out to suggest the strong personality of black pines. White pines and junipers look better with more lift to the tips of shoots.
The first bonsai is a huge two-person tree, over one meter tall, and the second bonsai, a root over rock pine, is very old but moderate sized.
2 Comments
Welcome Michael to blogging! I really like those little changes to the first tree here. You opened up the view of the way this tree so beautifully thrusts her hip out to the side, while modestly making the upper part more modestly veiled. The whole effect gives a focus to the tree. In the “before” picture, the tree long, skinny upper portion with such modest taper clashed a bit with the strong lower portion.
The parts of the tree are in much more harmony now, and the movement of the base is visible. I notice you also seem to have moved the apex a slight bit to the right? That also gives the tree more balance.
Cheers! -Janet
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