Finally getting down to business.

 This is a juniper of unknown variety and origin that has been knocking around my benches for a little while. I honestly don't know where it came from. From size and age, it looks like an old cutting, but I rarely even try with junipers-they just take so long to strike roots!

Last year it was massaged out of a training plastic and into this small Chinese pot.  Many times my inspiration for how to style a tree takes a while to form up, and that means trees can evolve into a final form rather than just make a magical transformation.  This little plant has been growing and needed one of two thing-cut back to lessen the long shoots and get more compact, OR some wire to make the long shoots more interesting.




Here is the "other" side of the plant, compared to what is shown in the first image. This view really emphasizes how long and lank the foliage is. The decision was made to wire everything and add some curves to all the straight growth. Pinching took places at the same time, and all growth shortened. Any verticals were removed.

 Notice the light level. It didn't take all that long to do this work, but by the time it was wrapped up, the sun had set.
Two branches were made into jin, and new soil worked into the pot to help add a bit more lean to the trunk.
The jin will need cleaned up for shape, but one was wired so that it would hold it's curve. It adds some visual interest on that side and also mirrors an exposed root's curve, that doesn't show well in this photo.

A photo in daylight shows the amount of wire used. Well shaped, truly refined bonsai means wire.
This little fellow has a ways to go-the foliage masses need to fill in-but it looks alot more lie a bonsai than it did 24 hours ago.