Page 48 - BSAM 2015 Q1

Heavy
Bend Improving a
By Jason Chan, USA
Photos by Stanley Ho Photography
California Juniper with David Nguy
On March 10, 2015, I had the opportunity to work with David Nguy during a video and photo shoot. He chose an extremely tall California Juniper for the material to be worked on. The trunk of the tree was extremely wide and the tree was easily over 800 years old. Unfortunately, all the foliage was present only on the outstretched
limbs and branches that reached four feet
outwards from the base of the tree. His
intention was to bring one of the branches
down by about two feet and over the base
of the tree. To do so, he would use one of his
heavy branch bend techniques.
David Nguy is well known for his work with California Junipers and Black Pines. His experience includes studying under Harry Hirao, Ben Oki, Ernie Kuo, as well as Masahiko Kimura in Japan. David’s skill and advanced techniques are found in many of his signature trees. He has been referred to by the GSBF, (Golden State Bonsai Federation), as “Mr. California Juniper II.” Many artists have used many of his techniques. He continues to refine his skill as well as teach at his school, Bonsai Jidai, in Southern California.
Why perform a Heavy Branch
Bend?
It is always an exciting sight to find a tree with low
branches. How- ever, when searching for material, low branches are not always easy to come by. Often times many artists will see a tree with a desirable nebari and wonderful movement but no lower branches to work with. Typically these trees are thought to be unworkable or impossible to style. However, with the proper technique, these trees hold great potential
as bonsai trees.
California Junipers in particular are very suited to
using this technique. When collecting California Juni- pers, it is extremely difficult to find a larger older tree with lower branches near the base of the tree. Since most of the collected trees have branches that are high- er up on the tree, the only way to transform it into a bonsai tree is to bring the branch down, regardless of the thickness of the branch. By bending a heavy brand downwards toward the base of the tree, it is possible to condense the height of the tree. Once the branch is in place, the foliage can then be arranged to give the tree fullness and shape.
46 | BCI | April/May/June 2015