The Seven Principles of Bonsai Design

Bonsai trees are stylised and immaculately groomed works of art portraying aspects of natural trees and artistic flair. In bonsai creations, elements of nature and the tree’s natural characteristics are incorporated into the artistic design and composition to create visual balance and appeal. Bonsai settings are viewed as miniature worlds depicting the world of trees in their natural surroundings.For the novice and the experienced alike, bonsai trees with natural and artistic appeal can be created by following a set of Seven Principles of Bonsai Design that incorporates the fundamental bonsai processes and artistic composition approaches. By applying these principles, simple and humble trees can be turned into magnificent showpieces.These principles apply throughout the development of the bonsai through their various stages of transformation into works of art. Applying these holistically allows the encapsulation of natural features and artistic styling within a miniaturised bonsai world as a representation of the natural world.