July Meeting Information

Saturday, July 10, 2010, 1:00 PM

Member Workday

The BSC’s newest member Henry Jenkins, who is lucky to have his dad, Chris, available to help with styling questions.  Bonsai.... It's a family affair. 

by Randolph Lewis, Editor

Greetings, members.  We’ve covered a lot of ground so far this year in the Bonsai Society of the Carolinas.  From soil to wire, from accent plants to accentuating the meditative benefits of bonsai, we’ve explored many different topics.  However, there’s one subject so dear to our hearts that we simply can’t devote too much time and attention to it: your bonsai!  With this in mind, our July meeting will take the form of a member workday.

Why a member workday?  Bonsai cultivation is often a solitary pursuit, but treating it as a group activity from time to time has some real advantages.  For instance, it provides an opportunity for novice bonsai artists to benefit from the experience and guidance of some old pros.  This is especially important in a year when we are pleased to be welcoming so many new members into the fold.  But you don’t have to be a new member or a novice to benefit from the group environment.  Member workdays are just the thing for anyone in need of a few objective opinions from peers concerning what direction to take with a particular bonsai.  Or perhaps you have a tree you’ve been excited about addressing but just haven’t found the time.  This is your chance to leave the distractions behind and focus on nothing but bonsai for a while. 

Regardless of your specific goals for this workday, the most important thing is for club members to work together and grow as a group as we grow our trees.  Club sensei Randy Clark summed it up this way: “Developing skills as a bonsai artist comes not from books and demonstrations, but from the practical, hands-on experience of coming into contact with plant material.  Our upcoming workday provides members an extraordinary opportunity not only to improve their own trees, but to do so alongside fellow members, learning from others’ trees as well.”  But remember, the success of this workday depends upon the participation of club members, so please take advantage of this opportunity by bringing something to work on!  

Last Month’s Meeting - Recap

For those members who were not able to attend last month’s meeting, we had a great time and learned a lot too as Jim Hanley revealed the secrets of bonsai meditation in a program combining relaxation techniques with a defoliation demo on an impressive trident maple.  Jim started with the basics of defoliation – when to perform this technique, what plant material responds best to it, and the results that can be achieved.  He then switched gears and took us through a short guided meditation to introduce everyone to the relaxed and mindful state that can add another dimension to our enjoyment of bonsai.  And if this weren’t enough, he closed by cluing us in to a few new techniques he’s developed for getting young maples and other trees off to a good start on their way to becoming bonsai.  Thanks Jim for a truly enlightening experience!

Jim Hanley demos defoliation 

Show and Tell

Tim Gardner’s Coastal Redwood 

This month we are excited to feature an amazing Coastal Redwood from club member Tim Gardner.  Tim acquired this specimen on a recent trip to study bonsai with renowned artist and teacher Boon Manakativipart in Northern California, where this species is native.  The tree was collected from the wild about a decade ago and has been in training ever since.  “When I saw this tree,” said Tim, “it just spoke to me.  It has a ton of natural character, especially in the trunk.”  This character is due in large part to an abundance of compelling deadwood, which Tim explains has not been carved, but was already a feature of the tree at the time of its collection.  Tim is now hard at work refining the tree and his goals for its future include shortening the internodes, rounding the crown, and possibly bringing the apex down a few inches.  This is an awesome example of species rarely seen in bonsai cultivation, and one whose progress we all look forward to following.  Great job, Tim – keep us posted!  And remember BSC members, keep bringing those trees to club meetings and you just might see one of yours featured here.  

On the horizon

Coming up on August 14 we will be welcoming our good friend Arthur Joura to town for his much-anticipated annual visit.  Arthur is the Curator of the Bonsai Collection at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, and a celebrated bonsai artist, writer, and educator.  In addition, he is also the organizer and driving force behind the Carolina Bonsai Expo, now in its second decade as a beloved bonsai tradition in the Southeast.  The programs he prepares for our club are always thought provoking, delivered with flair, and infused with his unique insight into bonsai as an expression of our regional identity.  Make plans early to attend this one!