Entry #49
Judge #1: Excellent material, design doing justice to the quality of material, could be a bit more refined, bits of bark should have been taken off the deadwood, photographing very poor for an international PHOTOGRAPHY contest
Judge #2: Looks like excellent material, but I could not really see the finished design. Poor photo.
Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea Pungens)
USA
66cm (26") / 58.4cm (23")
Before
This tree was collected in Colorado a few years ago. It shows the struggle that these trees endure at the high altitude the grow at. I chose this tree because of my love for spruce, their hardiness the beautiful deadwood and the age of the tree and this was collected by a friend of mine. I am planning on changing the inclination slightly and possible bringing the top section of the tree to the right and down and emphasis and frame in the deadwood.
The first image shows the beautiful deadwood and the current state of the tree was hit hard by hail a few years ago after it was collected and is now ready to be styled.
One Quarter Progression
I cleaned up the deadwood more by brushing it with a toothbrush and water. In Colorado it is very dry so I haven’t treated the wood at all. The sun naturally bleaches out the wood over a year or two. I wired lowered the far right branch down 1.5″ and needed to tie it down with a guy wire because it was over 1″ in diameter. I fine wired that first branch and set the structure for the next section.
Half Way Progression
I fine wired the second the majority of the second apex.
Three Quarter Progression
I created the apex for the first trunk and placed the main branches for the taller apex on the left.
For the final image I will fine wire the main apex and adjust the potting angle if needed.
I also might adjust the deadwood on the trunk base, but am leery of modifying such old wood. If I do decide to do that it is because of it’s visual weight, not because I think I can do a better job than mother nature.
Final
For my final pictures I fine all the branches on the second apex. I did not repot the tree as it is risky in Colorado to repot this late in the year. I will repot the tree in the Spring of 2013. The pot I have chosen for the tree is a grey Japanese pot that will compliment the deadwood and the bark.
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[tab title=”Judge #1″]
Scores:
Selection: 10
Design: 9
Technique: 7
Final Outcome: 9
Documentation: 3
Originality: 9
Total: 47
Excellent material, design doing justice to the quality of material, could be a bit more refined, bits of bark should have been taken off the deadwood, photographing very poor for an international PHOTOGRAPHY contest
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[tab title=”Judge #2″]
Scores:
Selection: 8
Design: 8
Technique: 6
Final Outcome: 6
Documentation: 7
Originality: 8
Total: 43
Looks like excellent material, but I could not really see the finished design. Poor photo.
[/tab]
[tab title=”Judge #3″]
Scores:
Selection: 8
Design: 8
Technique: 9
Final Outcome: 9
Documentation: 8
Originality: 9
Total: 51
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