The informal upright Bonsai is a style of Bonsai tree that is very popular. It is the other part of the formal upright Bonsai (as you might expect) and it looks fantastic when done correctly. Let's have a look at some of the characteristics of the informal upright Bonsai tree.

First of all, I want you to imagine yourself under a tree, having a picnic. You are sitting on the green grass with the blue sky and puffy white clouds in the distance. A soft and warm breeze blows over you and you are in the shade of a great tree. It's a comfortable tree to be under. If you look up you can see the glimpse of the sun through the leaves.

There is a point to this exercise and it's not just because I was feeling especially creative when I wrote this down. I think of the informal upright Bonsai as being beautiful 'summer' trees. They are warm and they are inviting. They aren't bent over by time or by the wind. They move around a bit as the make their journey to the sky, but in short they are a friendly tree.

The informal upright Bonsai starts with a big base, like the formal upright. It tapers to a point at the top of the tree. However it bends a little side to side as it goes up there. Unlike the formal upright which is proud and sturdy, the informal is more affected by the elements. It might move to the left or get out of the way of another tree, or perhaps move away from a building.

Usually the informal upright Bonsai is a fairly structured tree. Once the tree gets to say 1/5 of its height it bends off the the left. At 3/5, it might bend back to the right before pointing upwards at the very last centimeter. The branches are fairly formal and go out each side of the tree, a little like a staircase. One on the left, one on the right, each getting smaller as they go up the tree. The foliage is usually thick and full.

I like the informal upright Bonsai as you might be able to tell. It's my favourite type of tree out in the wild... they just look friendly. It's up to you to create the mood with your tree but this is the mood that I love and seek in a good informal upright.

Remember to always think about mood when you are creating and sculpting trees as art. What effect do you want on the viewer?