Kevin Wilson: Scotch Pine

Kevin Wilson is an old friend of the school and his work is so well known that it needs no introduction.

On this occasion he wanted to collaborate with us with this article which is exclusive to this site and in which he improves the dead wood of a huge Scots pine and styles the crown giving spectacular results.

Those of you that have seen older articles by Kev will notice an evolution in his working system. Although he still uses electrical power tools to work the wood he no longer does so as intensely, he now uses manual tools more and more to get the right finish. Where have these new influences come from? Keep your eye on the work on the wood which gives such spectacular results.

As far as his system of work on the branches goes he's also introducing changes in his working methods. Previously, as is the case with most European authors, he used all the shoots which he would bend and bend to get a compact profile. Nowadays he gives more importance to the structure of the tree and he's abandoned this method of work.

It's not that Kevin's small, it's just that the tree is colossal!

As you can see the branches of this pine have been worked according to the teachings of the old school, but he mentions that it was impossible to do it any other way and his intention is to remove some of those twisted branches as new shoots are encouraged in the desired areas.

Let's get on with the job.

The wood at the base had already been worked on (the previous year) and it's this that he intends to finish in this session.

Work starts on the jins using a trunk splitter to break them, thereby obtaining a more natural result.

This is how the jin turns out, the wood still hasn't been cleaned with a brush.

The wood is cleaned with a short haired brush.

After cleaning

Once the work on the wood is finished he starts work on the part which he's indicating. The tree is now wired and all that's left is to style it.

In order to bend the top part of the trunk he uses a bar and some guy wires attached between an eye screw and a jin.

Here we can see the first branch on the right before being styled.

The first branch in the mid point of torsion. In this task guy wires are essential.

After bending the main branch.

Here we can see the result of the structuring of the apex. The fine work on the branches still has to be carried out.

Concentrating (it's hardly surprising), he starts to position each shoot.

The finished crown.

The first branch after the first stage of refining.

The first branch after work has finished. The result is hardly believable when compared to the photo taken before styling.

The amazing result.

This article will soon be published in Bonsai Actual with more photos and technical details.

< back