Windswept Celtis

I got this tree(for free) from a guy(Erik) who emigrated in 2012 to Malaysia. He got the tree from his father and he wanted for his tree to be cared for.

This is the tree May 2012:



From the start the tree portrayed a windswept feel, and I decided to pursue the style. I had to do a lot of research because windswept trees are very difficult for me to visualize, especially the branch and twig structure.

I did not want to have a tree with defined pads like this:



Looking through hundreds of pictures on the net I found this real life windswept tree and did a virtual of my tree next to it:



I liked this image and was convinced that broadleaved trees, like my Celtis, can look like this. I studied branch and twig structures of other windswept bonsai and I like this:



Drawing inspiration from guys like Robert Stevens and Jun, I decided to give it a try.

I decide to get rid of this branch because it was straight and very close to the upper branches (August 2012):



The tree from the other side:



Looking at the above image there may be some deadwood incorporated into the design.

This is the tree October 2012 after some heavy cut backs:



From there I left the tree to grow freely. It got a bit dry in the beginning of the growing season but no harm done. This is the tree yesterday at a nursery where we showed and worked on some trees:



Defoliating the tree and wiring every branch and twig took me about 5 hours! After wiring the tree and styling it this is how it looks now:



The other side:



Being my first real windswept I am happy with the outcome.

The nebari is covered by a mulch and the tree is in one of my ugly Rockset pot creations.

The crown seems a little bit crowded by all the branches, twigs and the wire accentuate this.....maybe I  should thin it out a bit?

The tree does look to be too vigorous for a struggling tree?

A friend, Amith, from SABonsai, did a virt for me showing another option: