AusBonsai

I realize this tree is small but I just wanted to see if I really had any idea of what I was doing. 1st. I changed the pot then had a go at some kind of shaping, just some practice for when I get a better one, so I didn't wreck my new one.

1st. pic is the old pot.
2nd. pic in new smaller pot.

I look forward to any comments as it will be good for me to hear from someone else as I can tell myself what ever I want to hear.
sheba

Stick with the hobby, Babes, you've got talent. For your first shaping attempt you have done well. Put some movement in the cascade branch and do it in a way that every branch is on an outside curve... branches on inside curves are big no-nos. You have a flock of branchlets on the cascade. I would leave them to promote growth and thickening so when you shape select the branches you plan on keeping, don't worry about the small stuff that will eventually be removed and shape to have the good branches on outside curves. Just to give you an idea of what I am nattering on about. The red and black branches represent what the tree now has. You will leave them all on at the moment but style for the black branches. Keep in mind, this sketch is just an idea as I have not followed what your tree is really doing.

Thanks heaps Mel, I though of that when I was doing it but wasn't game enough to do it. sheba53

sheba

its a good start for a first effort at wiring and shaping. i might just be repeating what mel said but. take a quick squiz at the trunk for the first section compared to the rest of the tree.. its like an arrow, try and add some movement to that to match with the rest of it. it will help. mel has given you the ideas for inside outside bends and foliage etc.

to get better at shaping it is all just practice. same with wiring and everything else. to move along a bit quicker. use the net, books or any other resource for inspiration and ideas, then try and recreate some of these in the 4 years i have been doing bonsai, i have been looking at books, trees in nature, bonsai pictures, the net. the net is a great resource. try google. pick a style you like and species.

for example juniper shimpaku. go to google and type juniper shimpaku bonsai and search it, then go to all found images. here you will find a lot of pictures for inspiration. some times there is the occasional little one with not much going for it but a lot of the time you will find many, many magnificent trees

jamie