Yew and Juniper intro

Posting here for the first time. My trees were looking especially nice on this warm fall day.

The Yew. Newly styled this fall. Open to suggestion about styling/would a carving or hollow trunk enhance the design? My inspiration is actual old yew or large old oak trees. I’ve never actually carved into a tree. I’m a little scared of ruining it. Also, i Jinned the left branch but i feel like an old yew or oak wouldn’t have such i large preserved dead branch. Probably another hollow.

The juniper was really my dive back into bonsai after a long hiatus. I’ll just refine the foliage. Again, curious about design AND POT suggestions.

Thanks guys.

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I get the oak inspiration @Eddyfern
If you want to carve the trunk, it should tell a story, or you run the risk of making the tree look like a woodwork project. Yew is hard work to carve but you don’t have to do it all at once. I like the way you have moved your design around the cut stumps, as they are a nightmare to work.

Just a basic question on carving/shari(?) Is there an accepted ‘rule’ on whether they should extend to the nebari or, as in the illustration photo, can they just taper away anywhere along the trunk if it fits the narrative?

j-