Several tendencies to watch out for in bonsai creation

In the process of bonsai artistic creation, the author, influenced by values, methodology and psychological factors, often develops biased tendencies, mainly in the following aspects:

1. Valuing foliage over branches. Evergreen varieties can add greenery to a room in the cold winter and are loved by ordinary citizens; by contrast, deciduous bonsai works, as the seasons change, offer different scenery to enjoy, with both leaves and branches worth viewing.

2. Valuing the large over the small. Although the bonsai community in China has laid down some rules on the height of exhibited bonsai and the height of pots: tree bonsai exceeding 120 cm above the rim of the pot are not eligible for awards. Yet many bonsai authors still take pride in large size and seek to win by size. Small bonsai are often neglected, considered weak in momentum and low in commercial value; in fact, the value of a work should be judged by its artistic level.

3. Valuing form over substance. Beginners in bonsai are often too infatuated with whether the stump is gnarled and ancient, and easily overlook the essence of a bonsai work in expressing the content of social life, not realizing that conveying emotion through scenery and blending feeling with setting is what true bonsai is. In bonsai, resemblance in form is inferior to resemblance in spirit; the best is resemblance in both form and spirit.

4. Valuing pruning over wiring. In the Su, Anhui and Zhejiang regions of China, the bonsai technique is known for wiring, but many fellow enthusiasts, finding wiring laborious and time-consuming, rush to emulate the Lingnan technique. Because climatic conditions differ from place to place, they should be treated differently. Lingnan has a high average annual temperature and a long growing season, and plants grow fast, so trunk chopping and branch training is a good method. From central to northern China, if one only prunes without wiring, the time for a bonsai to take shape is lengthened. Therefore, in Hubei a method combining pruning and wiring has emerged, which can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

5. Valuing technique over art. Technique serves art. Technique pursues common laws, while art pursues individual characteristics; the two are cause and effect. Only by working hard on creating a unique artistic style and on expressing the artistic conception of bonsai, absorbing the artistic nourishment of the "formal style", "natural large-tree style" and "wind-swept style" bonsai of different periods, can one achieve development in both technique and art and break new ground through innovation.