AusBonsai

I decided to change the design up a little to add extra support. I have also started doing some detailed painting.

Sorry mate. Please don't take offense at the following observations.
You've done a great job exploring the medium and many of us have learned a few things from the thread but this does not look very natural to me. Rocks usually have a grain or consistent cleavage planes. This one seems to be broken in all different directions. At first glance this looks like a monster rock chicken.

Rocks are an art form and take time to master. Hope you can learn from this attempt and keep turning out ever better samples.

Monster rock chicken.
I see a horse or a swan.
I see what Shibui is saying but I think it depends on how the rock is formed. Sedimentary rock will cleave and weather in planes but I think volcanic rock would weather more like this but I’m no geologist.

shibui wrote:Sorry mate. Please don't take offense at the following observations.
You've done a great job exploring the medium and many of us have learned a few things from the thread but this does not look very natural to me. Rocks usually have a grain or consistent cleavage planes. This one seems to be broken in all different directions. At first glance this looks like a monster rock chicken.

Rocks are an art form and take time to master. Hope you can learn from this attempt and keep turning out ever better samples.

Non taken i welcome all criticisms as they will ultimately make me better. This is the first time i have done this and i am learning a lot from it.

DocPep wrote: Monster rock chicken.
I see a horse or a swan.
I see what Shibui is saying but I think it depends on how the rock is formed. Sedimentary rock will cleave and weather in planes but I think volcanic rock would weather more like this but I’m no geologist.

I see a trojan horse

Once the rock is planted up and details growing it will change considerably. Well done Beanwagon..looking forward to seeing it planted up.

Tested out the waterfall today.

https://youtu.be/9pDwgMsL6_Y

Wow,that's not as big as I thought it was...

and seeing where the water goes, I guess you'll have to put the plant around the back somewhere so the roots won't stay saturated?

Unless....you just make it a jungle type installation with dripping ferns and other hanging plants... ?

melbrackstone wrote:Wow,that's not as big as I thought it was...

and seeing where the water goes, I guess you'll have to put the plant around the back somewhere so the roots won't stay saturated?

Unless....you just make it a jungle type installation with dripping ferns and other hanging plants... ?

I more than likely wouldn't have the pump running all the time so i wouldnt worry about saturating the roots. There are two carved pockets/spaces for the roots i am just curious to see if i have left enough room for them. Does anyone gace a good keto/mud recipe?

Im assuming clay, horse manure and peat moss would be the main components?

After watching I suddenly feel the need to go to the bathroom.
Look forward to seeing the planting stage however.

Keep Calm and Ramify wrote: After watching I suddenly feel the need to go to the bathroom.
Look forward to seeing the planting stage however.

I believe that traditional keto is just aged manure and clay but if it dries out it is very difficult to wet again. Adding some chopped sphagnum helps water to soak into the clay to wet it better. Peat may not be as good at absorbing water.

If you have hollows it might be better to use a potting mix in them. I think keto is used where roots are running on the outside of the rock rather than in hollows?

shibui wrote:I believe that traditional keto is just aged manure and clay but if it dries out it is very difficult to wet again. Adding some chopped sphagnum helps water to soak into the clay to wet it better. Peat may not be as good at absorbing water.

If you have hollows it might be better to use a potting mix in them. I think keto is used where roots are running on the outside of the rock rather than in hollows?

Awesome cheers for the info. I am still unsure if the hollows would be of a suitable size. So the roots may be outside the rock and in the hollow. I really need to work out where i am going to place the shimpaku on this.

I had a go at adding some tree's. I still need to add a lot mire moss and fix some issues with the waterfall.