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Kondo critique at BIB meeting
Last Tuesday, Akio Kondo visited Bay Island Bonsai’s monthly meeting and gave a mini demo and critique. He worked on two small shimpaku and offered suggestions for further developing a few member...
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Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit
The theme for Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit was Born in the USA. It was an exhibit with no imported trees. Honestly, we weren’t totally sure how things would turn out a few years ago when we...
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More from BIB’s 15th annual exhibit
Here are some more photos from Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit – Born in the USA – an exhibit with no imported trees. California juniper Live oak Shimpaku Cedar Ezo spruce Sawara cypress Accent...
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A final stroll through BIB’s 15th annual exhibit
Here’s a final look at some of the trees on exhibit at Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit – I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour! Ponderosa pine Shimpaku Sierra juniper Accent – mixed planting White...
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Matt Reel bonsai program at Bay Island Bonsai
After an incredible 8 years studying with Shinji Suzuki in Obuse, Japan, Matt Reel has returned to the US as a bonsai professional. Matt with recently styled Western juniper I first met Matt in 2009 –...
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Planning a bonsai exhibit
Every summer Bay Island Bonsai members are invited to Boon’s house for a barbecue. It’s one of the two most important events of the year – the other being the annual exhibit in January. The barbecue is...
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Members’ Choice Awards – BIB’s 16th Annual Exhibit
This past weekend marked Bay Island Bonsai’s 16th annual exhibit. As I remember the plans that went into the first exhibit, it’s hard to believe that so many of these events have come to pass. A lot...
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Nomoto critique at BIB’s 16th annual exhibit
Just before the doors opened for day two of Bay Island Bonsai’s 16th annual exhibit, Daisaku Nomoto and Boon Manakitivipart led a critique for BIB members. Some comments focused on the displays, others...
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More highlights from BIB’s 16th annual exhibit
Like it does every year, Bay Island Bonsai’s annual exhibit seemed to wrap up just as it was getting started. It was a blast, and as always I wish I’d had more time to enjoy the trees. Poring over the...
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Judging bonsai at Bay Island Bonsai meeting
This month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting featured some of my favorite activities – evaluating bonsai and bonsai display. Boon regularly gives members opportunities to hone their understanding of judging...
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The study of bonsai design
This month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting focused on bonsai design. Members brought trees for critique and designed trees on paper. Both exercises focus on the criteria we use to design attractive bonsai...
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Refining a Sierra juniper
Ned Lycett was one of the happy exhibitors at the inaugural Artisans Cup held in Portland, Oregon, last month. The tree he displayed was a Sierra juniper he collected in 2006. Here is the tree as...
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Not too big, not too small – Kifu bonsai at BIB exhibit
Kifu bonsai don’t get a lot of attention. They are the trees that are a bit larger than shohin, but shorter than the medium sized bonsai. They are generally between 8 and 12 inches tall. The increased...
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Medium is the new large
Bay Island Bonsai’s 17th annual exhibit featured small, kifu, and medium-sized bonsai. The larger trees got a break this year. Here, then, are the largest trees on display – the medium-sized bonsai....
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Displaying a Japanese maple
This month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting focused on Japanese maple. After studying how and when to pluck, prune and pinch maples, we worked on a maple display. Bay Island Bonsai meeting at Boon’s...
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Things seen at a Bay Island Bonsai workshop
There are a number of things I expect to see at Bay Island Bonsai workshops – good trees, good work, and enthusiasts of all levels enjoying the day. For those unfamiliar with bonsai workshops, this is...
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Show trees and accents
For this year’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit, I displayed six trees and four accents. Two of the accents were created for past exhibits while the other (smaller) two came together just before the show....
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Shohin bonsai at BIB's 17th annual exhibit
The focus of this year’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit was on smaller trees – shohin, kifu and chuhin, or medium-sized bonsai. This meant a couple of things for members: there would be no lifting of heavy...
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Prize-winning trees at Bay Island Bonsai’s 18th annual exhibit
This past weekend, Bay Island Bonsai held their 18th annual exhibit at the Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California. Following the club’s tradition, the membership recognized the top tree in each...
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Large and medium-sized bonsai at Bay Island Bonsai’s 18th exhibit
I had a great time at this year’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit. It was fun to catch up with friends and visitors from Northern California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Minnesota, Connecticut...
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