Kev Willson's 2 day demo at Bonsai Wales

Here are the pictures of Kevin Willsons 2 day demonstration on a massive Taxus baccata. The tree was collected from woodland a very long time ago and sat on a bonsai nursery for all that time.

The front as it was displayed on the nursery

       Perhaps the lack of interest in this tree was it's sheer size and the way the tree was displayed showed a            completely dead front with no Live vein. The deadwood was also very cylindrical and lacked taper.

So how do you deal with the lack of taper and problem cylinders of deadwood? Kev spent nearly two days trying to make himself deaf while his assistant Richard was constantly wiring. The heavy lower section on the new left of the tree was carved to release and thin the live vein of sapwood to allow the branch to be bent.

The cylinder of deadwood had the profile or outside carved first to add taper and movement before depth was carved into the tree.

The second cylinder towards the back at the right was reduced heavily with a normal saw and then carved. The old stumps where hollow in the middle.

The following day involved refining the deadwood some more and a gang of helpers worked in a blur to get the wiring finished. Then on with the styling

Kev giving an explanation of the work carried out over the two days and explaining that most of the canopy or silhouette you see here will disappear and be replaced with more dynamic branches and foliage as the tree buds back.

The team from left to right. Richard, Kev, Simon and Simon

The final result and simply stunning.