An old maple tree like this one has very thick branches. Even the trunk looks like it broke, and probably used to be very much taller in the past when it was younger and vigorously growing along the central leader. See where branches got too heavy probably and broke off. Newer, younger thin branches formed along the branches and the trunk to fill in the gaps. Thousands of small branches wreath the tree.
In bonsai we are trying to recreate this vision in smaller size and detail.
Absolutely.
Source - Pixabay
The tree I grew started much like this one, in the picture above, growing naturally out of a tree's root.
Source - Pixabay
An old maple tree like this one has very thick branches. Even the trunk looks like it broke, and probably used to be very much taller in the past when it was younger and vigorously growing along the central leader. See where branches got too heavy probably and broke off. Newer, younger thin branches formed along the branches and the trunk to fill in the gaps. Thousands of small branches wreath the tree.
In bonsai we are trying to recreate this vision in smaller size and detail.