This little nursery Tree has been with me approx 2 1/2 years, slowly getting worked here and there until I felt it was time to move into a 'training' pot that I specifically created for it some time back. It's a good 8-10 years from being presentable in any fashion however I like it's deadwood areas and trunk movement - again another 'training' tree for me of a juniper species, with deadwood to play with.. If the green survives and can pad out as I've wired, it could in the future be an interesting tree to view.
'The Log' training pot I made in 2009 for this tree. Things have come a long way on all fronts (pottery and bonsai skills, as well as application of said abilities, thank goodness).
Signed it and threw in a 'bonsai' in Japanese on the left. Plenty of drainage on this one all the way down the center.
Lots of new growth, the Living Veins on both sides of the deadwood are quite healthy. Species is 'Juniperus chinensis blaauw' sometimes called 'blue juniper' due to it's tint of blue, which becomes very obvious during the cold months,
The trunk looks rough, it will get cleaned up some soon. Poor tree is begging for some good soil (here it comes, 40% crushed lava rock, 40% fired clay particle, 20% sharp builder sand).
Reduced, repotted, deadwood cleaned up slightly just so I can identify it better (carving still to really be done). Still looking for the front.
Another angle before work begins. Hmmm.. Still not showing a good front - but I think I know where it is now after a few spins.
After thinning and wiring, I believe this is the front; with a slight turn to the right from here..
This will become the back. Now I'm starting to see 'someone' in this Pose the tree is striking, can you guess who it is yet? :)
Close-up of the 'front', you can see the deadwood decently on the trunk here after a slight clean-up. Now that I have my front, I will carve into this side some to help with the taper and to blend better into the living veins, at the end of this season.
Had thought about going literati if I took the top off, it's still an option I suppose. Here's a view w/o the top to get an idea. I would bend the bottom right branch back 'up' some and get it slightly back above the main trunk chop line.
Another angle. Once the guy wired branch becomes stable, I will add a bit more movement in the bottom to follow the lines of the trunk. I sort of like this angle, gives the tree a sort of 'Travolta' pose going on.. :)
Another direction w/o the top if I went literati style down the road. Travolta w/o his left hand? Maybe I should keep the top and form it like this if nothing but for the discussion the pose could bring? :)
I think this is the front for now. A view if I left the top off and went literati.
Yep, time to set it aside in the shade for a month or so to allow the roots to take off, then out into full sun for the summer. I think this tree has earned it's name, 'Travolta' for sure take a look here to see the pose in action!
