Finding your own vision...

I got involved in two fairly concurrent online discussions recently, both about what's appropriate for bonsai and what 'looks' good. In both cases, the original poster put up a picture of a stock tree they had, and solicited advise. One tree was a variegated Ficus benjimina that had been brutally trunk chopped and was sending up a shaving brush of new branches. It's owner was thinking about what might be the next step. The other tree was a Sea Grape (Coccoloba uviferia) whose leaves had all turned yellow due to poor soil. The owner had repotted it out of season.

As usually happens in these online discussions, plenty of people chimed in with advise of varying helpfulness. Some had as little experience as the folks posting the originals

A collected Sea Grape. Handled with artistry, this
species can make compelling bonsai...

. Others gave more detailed help.  The Ficus needed some design  direction-that is what the poster really wanted-and got it.  The sea grape owner was hoping for some horticultural advice, since for all appearances the tree was almost dead, if not there already. Along the way several folks questioned just how suitable this plant is for bonsai-since it has fairly large leaves.

...but not always.  This is anti-bonsai, a plant rudely shoved in
shoved in a pot. Believe it or not, this commercially
produced 'bonsai' will cost you 49.95 plus shipping.

As conversations that include many individuals with a mix of attitudes and experiences go, these both took directions the original posters had not expected. Both got downright upset about and didn't take it well.  What both have in common was a similar attitude: "I am just starting, I am really just trying to keep these things alive, and what I do with them only has to please me". I am paraphrasing, but that's the gist.  Boiled down, both of these growers did not react well to something that every beginner will hear: You did something wrong". It's not easy to hear, but we have all been there, whether growing bonsai, learning a job or finding out how to relate to friends. Sometime those strong words can convey a message much more effectively and be better teaching, even if they do not go down like a spoonful of sugar.

One of the posters made a comment-a defense-that really stuck with me.  "Isnt bonsai all about your own vision?" Id respond to that Yes...sort of.   Bonsai is an art form and like every creative and expressive art, the ultimate goal of the artist is to express themselves with a unique voice.  In the true definition of unique, that is like no other, one of a kind. Many newcomers to any art struggle to find their voice.  Some copy established examples and never speak in their own voice. Some become over confident and think they have mastered something after only the briefest of experience. Other wave the banner of doing it their very own way as a cover for not having a mastery of their form.

Producing poor art, and excusing it as "My own vision"is a cop out.  It's a fall back position that many use to cover that fact that they have not taken the time and effort to learn the nuts and bolts of their chosen art form.  Michael Jordan wasn't born with the mastery of the ball he displayed during his professional career. It took work, hours and hours of boring drills and repetitive practice. Any player who thinks they can skip the work to get to the glory is fooling themselves.

Consider a more artistic example.   When I read that defense "Isnt bonsai all about your own vision/" I heard someone wanted to be later period Picasso with out being early period Picasso,  In other words, an artist who wanted to go wild and suit themselves without mastering the rudiments of their art.

 Consider the picture above.  Even folks with
no real knowledge of art might know its a Picasso.  The bold images, the playfulness in
taking apart a familiar form, the bold colors-these are the hallmarks of 'modern art'.

Now consider the image to the left. Who is the artist? Again, it is Picasso. It is actually a self portrait from early in his career.  It might be hard to tell that painting from many other paintings produced at that time. Before Picasso was "Picasso" he was just a painter, like so many others, who was learning the fine points of his art.


A painter is concerned with technical things like brush handling and mixing paints, as well as the design basics like balance and composition. A bonsai grower has the technical, horticultural aspects to master, as well as the concepts of form, balance and symmetry.  There is no short cut to learning these things except to put in the time.  That means more than a few ugly or misshapen, out of balance bonsai.  Your early examples will follow all the rules and can even be slavish imitation of the established style models. Having learned the rules, and developed experience and a design vocabulary of your own, you will be able to  know when it is appropriate to 'bend' a rule-or ignore it totally.