English Oak

quercus robur

just a little progression with images, i got this tree earlier in the year and was first going to attempt a Bunjin style with it.

IMG_2227 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

bonsai-stieleiche-quercus-231071-0-19863 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

instead i went with a fuller canopy and wired out the entire tree while in leaf, used to find this a chore but the more you do, the better you get and i tend to wire a lot of my trees in summer now, then take the wire off in winter, the branches usually are set and it gives me a head start and can assess the stucture again.
IMG_2248 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Nice small leaves
IMG_2250 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_2255 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_2302 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_2961 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

over the winter i re wired the tree, but here you can see its flaws. there is a thick knuckle developing where the three mini apex's meet..lovely winter image, but needed correcting in areas for a brighter future
just below that area, there is a bulky curve
2016-11-29_07-45-02 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

removed the top apex to lighten the load a little

IMG_3140 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

and got some separation into this area
2016-12-09_05-22-54 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i started jinning this branch when i got the tree and finished wire brushing off all the bark, common feature of oaks in the wild is dead branching attached to live areas..plus i think it blends well with the little shari in the crown
2016-12-09_05-28-30 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i think visually the deadwood work has helped to lighten the thick areas that bothered me, but it wont be perfect,
IMG_3170 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

the plan will be to re grow the apex, which should be easy, in the mean time the lower branches will become stronger
IMG_3172 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Very nice!

But once again, I'm not really a fan of too much carving, I don't think that was necessary. I would have stopped there:



https://www.flickr.com/photos/138823275@N03/31398470051/

But of course, what is "necessary"?

It's very nice like it is now. Everybody has their personal touch...

Fair enough Alain, it will tone down a lot over the coming months and next season i want to get some growth coming from the front. the carving isnt a feature of this tree and being at the centre of the crown will be barely visible in time.

i think the carving was necessary to tidy up the scar at top and also by extending the shari....ive visually reduced this area here, that bothered me a little..was a little thickness there
IMG_3151 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr" />

and i think the tree is more balanced by reducing the clutter of branches off the top, instead of when the apex was going to the right, almost leaning over... i agree it still looked ok, but i wasnt entirely happy and now i am

BobbyLane wrote:
(...) ... i agree it still looked ok, but i wasnt entirely happy and now i am

That's what matters, mate

Also, we are influenced by the people around us: in my club, several took courses with Japanese masters. Though I often find them a bit too rigid and do my own thing most of the time, my view of what should a "good" bonsai look like has probably been influenced by the tips and suggestions they gave me in the past ten years.

And in Britain, other schools that make an extensive use of shari, uro, jins, etc on deciduous is very popular, so...

Thats true Alain, im often influenced by what i see british artists doing with native species and also what enthusiasts are doing around the world. but a lots of what i do is influenced by trees in nature, you wont find too many Oak/deciduous bonsai with dead branch features, but its a common feature with Oaks in the wild,

photographed these myself
IMG_8328 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_8401 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_9610 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

these features can make for interesting and emotive bonsai, im still learning how to fit these characteristics into trees.

BobbyLane wrote: (...) a lots of what i do is influenced by trees in nature, you wont find too many Oak/deciduous bonsai with dead branch features, but its a common feature with Oaks in the wild,
.../...
these features can make for interesting and emotive bonsai, im still learning how to fit these characteristics into trees.

Actually, last time I went to England, I saw quite a few isolated oaks in fields, apparently very old ones, that had this kind of feel with rotten trunks and dead limbs.

What do you feed them over there?...

I mean, I haven't seen many like those here, probably because it's not windy and wet enough

Apparently Britain has more ancient trees than anywhere else in Europe (I say apparently because I heard it quoted on the TV recently - so it must be true, right? ) and deciduous trees of the kind described are pretty common. It may well be down to climate but whatever the cause it certainly makes for interesting trees.

Another nice project by the way BL.

Regards

Richard

nice to see the small leaves on this oak...

Nov 9th 2017
IMG_6088 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Nov 11th 2017
IMG_6106 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_6117 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_6118 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Hi folks, some naked images

IMG_6390 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_6389 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

the little hollow weathering in nicely now
IMG_6375 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr