To get the most out of their training, Bay Island Bonsai members participate in monthly meetings, take at least nine half-day workshops a year, and participate and help with Bay Island Bonsai events.
Member rates for workshops are $35; non-member rates are $55. Annual fees for Bay Island Bonsai are $45. All rates are subject to change.
If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about Bay Island Bonsai, call Boon at 510-865-1008.
Bay Island Bonsai Workshops
Workshops are designed for members to learn how to develop and maintain high quality bonsai. By working on their own trees, members quickly learn how to style, develop and maintain their bonsai through the guided practice of bonsai techniques including wiring, repotting, styling, carving, seasonal cutback, and decandling. The goal is for members to learn how to prepare their trees for public display.
Bay Island Bonsai offers morning and afternoon workshops on selected weekdays and weekends throughout the year. Workshop times are: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (see calendar for upcoming dates). You can sign up for workshops by phoning Boon at 510-865-1008 or by signing up at a Bay Island Bonsai monthly meeting.
What To Bring To Workshops
Tools, wire, one or more trees, and a sunny disposition are required for all Bay Island Bonsai workshops. A basic bonsai tool-kit includes: concave cutter, scissors, wire-cutter, and pliers. Bring repotting tools if you plan to repot; bring copper or aluminum wire if you plan to do any wiring.
Deciding what tree or trees to bring depends on your collection and the season. The Bay Island Bonsai newsletter offers some advice–you can also ask Boon or BIB Advisory Board members for further suggestions.
Workshop Policy
Members are required to participate in at least nine half-day workshops a year. There is no charge for reserving a workshop space if you cancel one week before the start of the workshop. Workshops that have 2 or fewer participants may be cancelled. Participants of cancelled workshops will be notified one week before scheduled workshop date.
Monthly Club Meeting
Bay Island Bonsai’s monthly meetings are an opportunity for the whole membership to gather and learn about bonsai. Whereas workshops provide the opportunity to practice bonsai technique, monthly meetings provide BIB members with the theory.
Using trees from his own collection as examples, Boon discusses topics including wiring basics, varietal care, and pine theory, at each meeting. Members study and practice bonsai evaluation throughout the year by learning the special characteristics of different varieties and by judging trees of similar and different species on a regular basis.
But what makes Bay Island Bonsai unique is its instruction on display. Each month a different member brings trees, stands, and accent plants from his or her collection and sets up a formal display. With support from the general membership, the displaying member adjusts elements of the display to learn which combination or combinations of elements work best. It is through this practice that members prepare for staging Bay Island Bonsai’s annual show, An Exhibit of Fine Bonsai.
Bay Island Bonsai meets from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of most months (see calendar for upcoming dates) at:
First Congregational Church
1912 Central Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about Bay Island Bonsai, call Boon at 510-865-1008.
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Learning the art of bonsai display « Bonsai Tonight // July 13, 2009 at 9:19 pm
[...] Posted in Display by xwires on July 13, 2009 Two things define Bay Island Bonsai’s monthly meetings for me – Boon’s talks and practice displays. Sure we get to see videos and slide shows, [...]
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