Hello, New to IBC, Phila/SJersey area

Hi, my name is Alec and I'm brand new to the IBC.

Like many here, I am a student of Bonsai with only a few years experience and have a few trees I wish were a lot better.
Last year I joined the local club, the Bonsai Society of South Jersey and met some great people in the Philadelphia / South Jersey area. I'm expanding my collection and improving my skills and hope to master this art some day.

I'm inspired by the great artists, and the wealth of information available on the internet, but there is no substitute for learning hands on with experienced "masters". So thank you for allowing me to introduce myself and I look forward to great exchanges here at IBC.

Best Regards,
Alec

Welcome

Welcome Alec!!

I trust you are familiar with the Rosade Bonsai Studio. If not, start there.
Iris

bonsaisr wrote:I trust you are familiar with the Rosade Bonsai Studio. If not, start there.
Iris

Good advice, Iris! - I took Rosade's "Introduction to Bonsai" class years ago and it was excellent. I continue to visit Rosade's several times a year for trees, pots, tools, supplies, advice, etc. A great resource in our area!

Hi Alec, and welcome. We look forward to seeing some of your trees. Do you have any favorite species?

I find I particularly enjoy the "showier" flowering /fruiting species, so wisteria and azalea are my favorites at the moment. These are easy to grow and good learning material. I also have an interesting blue mist spirea (caryopteris) with good potential. But I'm still just learning, and would like to expand my collection with better examples of crab apple, quince, dogwood, cherry, crape myrtle, etc.

I'm still very much in the stage of learning where I have many tortured trees that I fear will never amount to much. These were collected / purchased for the purpose of learning and have served me well, though I am definitely looking to acquire better material. Last fall I bought a number of saplings of various species from the Nat'l Arbor Day foundation. These starters save me a couple years starting from seed but still provide an opportunity to influence basic forms in early development. So we'll see how this works out over the long term.

What are your favorite species?

What are your favorite species?

Anything that is native. (And has small leaves, of course -- no magnolias.)

Actually, I do have a magnolia that I absolutely adore. Started pruning and training a couple years ago. Beautiful bend in the trunk, nearly perfect surface roots and elegant, softly curved branches. The tree produces beautiful flowers each year and is a joy to behold. Of course, for the rest of the year it has big floppy leaves and looks like a mutant clown bonsai joke gone horribly wrong, but I like it, so it's worth my time.

The pic below is about a year ago...

There is a Bonsai convention in Grantsville PA this April. Bonsai Exhibit, Bonsai Artist demonstrations a large vendor area and hands-on Bonsai workshops. Check out www.midatlanticbonsai.freeservers.com

This year will feature three Fantastic Bonsai Artists:

Yasuo Mitsuya, (Japan) in 1965 Mr. Mitsuya entered an apprenticeship under Toshinori Suzuki of Daijyu-en as Ichiban-deshi (First Apprentice). He completed this apprenticeship in 1969. In May of 1971 he opened Tokai-en in Toyohashii-city and was appointed by the Labor Union of Aichi prefecture in 1973 as a lecturer, a position that he held for 15 years. When he took an American, Kathy Shaner, as an apprentice he became the first Bonsai Master in Japan to take a foreigner as a live-in student. Ms. Shaner was the first woman and the first foreign bonsai professional to complete a 5-year apprenticeship in Japan. In addition to Ms. Shaner the following Americans have studied under him: Dennis Makishima, Cheryl Manning, Boon Manakitivipart, David DeGroot and Gordon Deeg. His first apprentice, Kenji Miyata now lives in the United States. Mr. Mitsuya’s first U.S. lecture/demonstration was at the Golden States Bonsai Federation Convention in 1984. Since that time he has traveled to the U. S. almost every year to work for one to two months, mainly in California and in other areas of North America. In 1995 at the request of the Japanese Ministry of Culture he came to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum to work on the Japanese bicentennial gift of trees. Mr. Mitsuya also appeared at MABS festival in 1995 in Grantville PA. He will present two lecture/demonstrations, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Also on Saturday he will conduct a critique of the exhibit trees. On Sunday, Mr. Mitsuya will conduct a workshop on Shohin Kishu Shimpaku Junipers raised by the Isshi family’s Chikugo-En Bonsai Nursery in CA. The workshop cost is $300.00*and is limited to 8 participants..


*Workshop fee after April 1 - $330.00


Steve Tolley, (Birmingham, UK) began his bonsai education under the guidance of Dan Barton, with the emphasis on bonsai aesthetics and philosophy. He later studied with some of Europe’s finest bonsai artists including Japanese bonsai master Hotsumi Terakawa, and is now most well known for his work with pines, junipers and yews. Steve has recently become a full time bonsai artist and has achieved one of his main ambitions to start a bonsai school. Here, students are able to come and work in his home studio where they find his enthusiasm and love of yamadori bonsai infectious. When not teaching and demonstrating, Steve can be found designing and styling bonsai in the tranquility of his studio. He has many articles and photographs published in international bonsai magazines. He has received awards for his bonsai at national exhibitions and has won the prestigious Ginkgo Award. He also maintains some private collections in the U.K. and in Europe. He will present two lecture/demonstrations, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. On Saturday, Steve will also conduct a critique of the MABS EXHIBIT. Steve will conduct a workshop with Northern-Maine collected American Larch that have been pot-established for 4 years. Each participant will receive a literati pot designed and hand-crafted by Adriano Manocchia for their tree. The workshop cost is $195.00* and is limited to 8 participants.

*Workshop fee after April 1 - $215.00


Kathy Shaner (U.S.A.) has become internationally known and recognized for her excellence in the art of bonsai. After studying under several of California's most respected bonsai instructors, she was granted the opportunity to study in Toyohashi, Japan. There she worked for Yasuo Mitsuya, highly regarded in Japan as a master of Gendai (contemporary form) bonsai training. Since that time, Kathy's career has taken off in many directions. She uses her knowledge and ability to find the "soul of the tree" (as Mr. Mitsuya puts it) to teach her students in a clear and understandable way. Students are taught the art and culture of bonsai using her creative specialized methods. Her critiques are a highly regarded part of the program and have set a standard for other instructors. Kathy also maintains and designs private collections throughout the United States. Kathy is the curator of the Golden State Bonsai Collection-North at Lake Merritt in Oakland, CA. Display of this collection opened in the fall of 1999. She is the resident bonsai master at the new El Dorado Bonsai School. The school on a beautiful 52-acre campus in Placerville, CA, and is the first bonsai school in the United States to feature Japanese accredited bonsai master instructors. She will present two lecture/demonstrations, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Kathy will conduct a critique of the exhibit trees. Kathy Shaner is well known for her ability to work with almost any species. In this workshop, MABS has selected a variety of great material in several species. The list includes Itogiawa Juniper, Mugo Pines, Larch, Little Leaf Lindens, Shimpaku Juniper and others that were all hand selected. Each is capable of becoming a great bonsai. There will be extra trees so that each person will have a good choice of materials. The Workshop cost is $225.00* and is limited to 6 participants.

*Workshop fee after April 1 - $250.00