Seven levels of a tree

Here’s a challenge.

Julie Trigg has been developing this tree (Ficus microcarpa “green mound” or “green island” for many years. Her goal was to create seven levels, or pads, or clouds, on the tree, to represent a personal symbolic idea.

The tree in question is the one next to the beer (of course I’d show scale by beer can. I learned from the old timers of bonsai. All the old magazines showed scale by beer). And if you know anything about beer, you’ll also know that Abita Brewery’s “The Boot” beer is only sold in Louisiana.

And it is a mild felony to smuggle it out of the state. Good thing I’m not there anymore (did you know that Louisiana is still governed by napoleonic law? Meaning you are guilty until proven innocent. Well, not really, but my 7th grade civics teacher insisted it was still in effect. Good story but, you know, don’t believe everything your teachers tell you. If you can only recite the words, you haven’t learned the lessons.)

But I was there this last weekend. In New Orleans. Proof:

Better proof:

Damn these meat pies are fine cuisine. To get them shipped to Orlando I have to buy 45 individual pies (well, 45 in a box) for $129.99.

But they’re available at the Walmarts in New Orleans, in the hot food section, for like a buck fifty.

Yes, I am jealous.

Makes my mouth water.

Anyway, back to Julie’s tree. Here’s a close up.

Julie is a real artist. She is one of the finest painters I know (follow this link: https://mustseesarasota.com/julie-trigg-artist/)

In oil, acrylic, mixed media, watercolor, whatever medium you can think of, she’s one of the best. And in Bonsai too. She’s shown trees multiple times at the BSF Exhibit at Epcot’s Flower and Garden show…..

…at the BSF Convention exhibit, at Bill Valavanis’ National Bonsai Exhibit, at both Komorebi shows David Camargo and I put on several years ago in Miami, and at many Shofu Bonsai Society shows, her home club when she lived in Sarasota Fl.

But why seven levels? It’s not a question I asked her. I’m a very personal person, and I feel very uncomfortable asking others personal questions. But if we do some research: seven levels could be religious (7 days of creation in Judeo-Christian religions or seven heavens/hells) spiritual (7 levels of awakening in Buddhism or the 7 energy chakras). In medieval learning, there is the sum of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and the quadrivium (astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, music) adding up to seven as well.

Seven colors in a prism or rainbow, seven principal notes in music. if you take any three things or entities, say A B C, you can only express them seven times (A, B, C, AB, BC, AC, ABC

Like it or not, going as far back possibly the caveman times, who were, believe it or not, more capable than we were intellectually (technology often dumbs us down), the number seven is significant.

Julie’s challenge to herself was to make a tree with seven pads, or levels. It was a challenge she conveyed to me when I worked on it.

Here we go:

First step with me is usually defoliation. Hey look, it’s me!

Why is it always defoliation? Thats a whole other article. (This one, by the way: I use some fancy words to justify my defoliation habit, go figure )

All defoliated and who do I find? Awww, look at that little dude!

Now for some wire:

But which side is the front I wonder?

Some more views. Then a video or two.

You can see how much work was needed to create the levels.

And if you say something silly like “You done ruint yer tree, you got wire scars”, then your slip is showing.

If your tree doesn’t have wire scars, you’re just not trying hard enough. Don’t want wire scars? Go buy a topiary.

We, as bonsai artists, use wire to shape our trees. Speaking of shaping….

One trend I’d like y’all to think about in modern bonsai is the concept of a growing a fully encompassing canopy over the tree. I’m pretty sure there is a Japanese name for it.

Is it a valid? Sure. Do I like it? Count up seven lines. That’s my answer.

I like to see the tree.

The story of a tree begins at the trunk, and (get this) branches off into ancillary chapters that tell their own stories. We may have scars (shari) or broken, dead branches (jin) that create drama, or climax.

What story does a full mushroom top tell?

How about we leave that discussion to the bonsai professionals.

Did we maintain the seven levels that Julie was going for? How about we just do some counting, sound up!

Another detail video. No sound this time. Copyright is a bitch.

Now, to go back to the question of “Which view is the front?”

Is it this one?

Or this?

They both tell different stories. They almost look like different trees. One is more massive looking, the other has more movement.

One is almost closed up, one is open.

I won’t tell you which I prefer. If I even have a preference. Julie likes the last one.

How about you?