A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF "THE ELEPHANT" LARCH.

Hi everybody,
I am currently working on part IIII of my "ELEPHANT" story to post on to my karamotto bonsai website HERE and while going trough all the photo's I shot this year, I thought it might be a nice idea to post here 3 of the progressing pictures from this growing season for my friends on IBC.
I have been working on this old Larch since 2004 and next season it is finally time to plant it in to a nice pot! I cant wait to see how it will look in a proper pot! I hope that the "ELEPHANT' will be show able in 2013. But I dont mind the waiting at all and I look forward to work those few years on improving this fine tree!


Above: 10-4-2010. After more than 2 days of wiring. Still with out it's new foliage, you can better see just how many layers and levels I created in every main branch. I know it is far from perfect yet, but it is slowly getting there!


Above: 24-4-2010.


Above: 10-5-2010.


29-9-2010.

Hope you enjoyed these pictures!
Cheers,
Hans van Meer.

As always beautiful Hans!! I love the way the layers are organized. Professional and artistic all at once. My fav pic is the first where the needles are just emerging and tiny.

Hans,

will look cool. I like the third one the best.

Beautiful Hans, Perhaps something a little darker.

This one is my favorite but perhaps not as red.

Really nice work Hans on my favourite species

Alex e

Amazing tree Hans and very detailed work

Stunning tree Hans. How big is this Larch? I quite like to see Larch in muted, earthy,glazed pots. Gordon Duffett does a lovely grey white crackle glaze, that would suit this tree very well.

will baddeley wrote:Stunning tree Hans. How big is this Larch? I quite like to see Larch in muted, earthy,glazed pots. Gordon Duffett does a lovely grey white crackle glaze, that would suit this tree very well.

This big! First exciting styling in 2004, that ended in the early hours!



Cheers,
Hans van Meer.

Wow! Was this picture taken straight after the first styling? If so it is in leaf and it looks like Autumn. Do you consider this the best time to style Larch?

Fantastic tree and work Hans. You are really skilled at this. Best Larch I have seen so far. Really amasing movement and a somehow quit feeling in a yet dramatic tree.

Regards
Morten

Here is a close up of the partial exposed root base. Over the years several large obstructive roots were removed from the front side. This was don in several steps, spread out over two years. Doing it this way, most of the otherwise large wound, had time to closed itself, leaving only a small wound when the rest of the root was removed. If you look at the middle of the picture you can see some cut paste from one I recently removed. The small scare that is now left is 4 times smaller than when I would have cut it off in one go! I love that flaky bark!



Cheers,
Hans van Meer.

I remember this tree from the old forum and your site this tree has been an inspiration to me and I learned alot from the timeline you have kept thank you.

I remember this tree. Great work on this one Hans.

Very good work with superior material, Hans. Congrats.

Kind regards,
Andy

Hi Hans,maybe this pot suits the tree.
Greetings Ed