Raft style bonsai are looked down on in Japan as "lesser" forms. They are unique and interesting compositions that are very wild in their habits. Most often, they are formed by a larger tree which has been felled, and a main branch takes root along its length. This habit lends itself for forest or clump style compositions, but refined examples remain rare.
Please share examples of raft style bonsai you have seen or are developing for us to study.
Here is a tree that I have been developing for two years. It is a Colorado Blue Spruce that was collected from private property (the legendary "fin") in South Park Colorado by Jerry Morris. This tree was probably collected around 2014 or 2015 and Jerry kept it as one of his "pets." As with many spruce collected by Jerry, it was gifted to me with the idea to make a spruce forest along with many other trees. Immediately when I saw the tree, I knew it was too good to put into a forest with a bunch of other lesser trees. It would make an interesting forest on its own!
I found a picture of this tree in an old RMBS news letter circa 2015 or 2016? when it remained in Jerry's possession.
This is what the tree looked like when I brought it home in the spring 2018
Watered and fertilized heavily for a season and it really put on crazy growth! Seen here just prior to heavy work with Bjorn 2019
Bjorn and I decided on a forest style with the apex away from the large trunk which he thought would be unorthodox but more interesting. Chastised for my poor wiring technique sufficiently to keep practicing. Here is the tree after the workshop.
Repotted today: out of the ugly pot into shallow tray which to too wide but will serve to develop this bonsai over the next few year. Overall very happy with the progress of this tree and it has lived up to expectations!
What a wild tree!