In the world of bonsai, time can be the artist’s greatest collaborator. Few stories illustrate this better than that of Guy Guidry’s bald cypress, one of the original 50 trees that launched the North American Collection at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. Donated in 1990 when Guy was in his twenties, both the tree and the artist were young and bold. He collected it from the swamps of Louisiana, a yamadori with roots as wild as its native landscape.
This tree was more than just a new addition to the collection; it represented a new frontier in American bonsai. The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), a deciduous conifer native to the southeastern United States, was virtually unknown in traditional bonsai circles. Unlike the pines and junipers native to Japan and China, this swamp-dwelling tree had to travel by boat or plane to even reach those countries. Its presence in the Museum signaled a bold expansion of bonsai’s geographic and stylistic range, and emphasized the growing bonsai artistry of the United States.
The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), was first styled by Vaughn Banting, one of Guy’s mentors. When Vaughn began training this tree, he aimed for a traditional Japanese formal-upright formation, but he later recognized the tree’s true character. His insight led to the development of the flat-top style, a significant innovation in North American bonsai that more closely mimics how these trees evolve in the wild.
The Museum’s curator at the time recognized the significance of the species and its origins, both for its size and uniqueness and because it offered a fresh perspective on native North American styling. Unlike traditional Japanese forms, the bald cypress reflected how these trees grow naturally in southern American swamps.
Guy was also deeply influenced by the writings of bonsai master John Naka, and he thoroughly studied Naka’s Bonsai Techniques, Volumes 1 and 2. He would go on to meet Naka at the World Bonsai Convention in New Orleans in April 1985, where his work caught the legendary artist's attention. Eventually, it was Naka himself who requested that Guy contribute a tree to the North American Collection.
At the time of the donation, Guy was one of the youngest artists ever to contribute to the Museum. Over the decades, his donated tree remained largely unchanged, maintained in the classical style by the expert curators at the Museum with steady care and occasional wiring. But as with all bonsai, time itself worked its quiet magic. Bark matured, roots evolved, and the tree began to take on the appearance of age and wisdom. This is a quality that bonsai artists call mochikomi—the depth and realism that emerge only through time. Natural features develop as a tree ages: branches thicken, root zones die back to form veins, and living bark callouses over deadwood, creating a sense of history and making the tree appear more ancient and visually compelling.
Thirty-five years later, the Museum invited him back as part of the Potomac Bonsai Association’s annual festival during the Museum’s World Bonsai Day celebration. It was both a return and a renewal: This was a close collaboration between artist and curator, offering a rare opportunity to continue the tree’s artistic expression decades later. Over the course of two years, Guy and Curator Michael James stayed in conversation, exchanging ideas and sketches. When Guy arrived for the PBA Festival, he brought that vision to life, setting the stage for a remarkable full-circle moment. Nearly four decades after his original donation, Guy returned not only as an established artist but as the tree’s longtime companion, to see “his old friend,” as he called it. As a seasoned bonsai professional, he now had a chance to restyle the tree he had once trained as a newcomer.
On World Bonsai Day 2025, presented by the Potomac Bonsai Association in partnership with the National Bonsai Foundation and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Guy led a live styling demonstration for an eager audience. This public collaboration between artist and curators was a unique opportunity to witness bonsai artistry in motion as a piece of history happened in the moment. Evan Pardue of Underhill Bonsai Nursery in Louisiana assisted Guy with the demo, with support from Curator Michael James and Assistant Curator Andy Bello.
In front of a rapt group of bonsai enthusiasts, Guy performed a comprehensive transformation. He did a hard cutback, significant wiring, and repotting — all in a single session. This is rare in bonsai practice, as artists tend to give their trees time to adjust between major changes. But this bonsai was healthy and strong, having been kept in the Museum’s tropical greenhouse through the winter. Thanks to good growing conditions, it advanced enough to allow it to withstand the intensity of the all-in-one styling.
During the demonstration, Guy also made a bold artistic decision: He turned the tree, choosing what had been the back of the tree for decades to now be the presentation side. It was a choice following John Naka’s teachings, who often reminded students that the back of the tree often becomes the front over time. The audience watched as Guy created new negative space, refined the line of the trunk, and selectively styled secondary and tertiary branches, preserving the primary structure.
Guy also selected a new pot, a large, ornate Chinese-produced container donated by Doug Green of Underhill Bonsai Nursery. The pot’s red hue, curved edges, and imperial scale were chosen to complement and emphasize the tree’s grandeur.
The result was more than a technical triumph. It was an immersive educational experience and a powerful reflection on the nature of bonsai itself. Thirty-five years ago, a young artist donated a young tree. Now, both have matured. The man and the tree grew up together, shaped by time, care, and the deep collaboration between an artist and the natural world. Their story, decades in the making, continues to grow.
