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The latest online course from Bonsai Empire continues its series with Mr. Masahiko Kimura. The 4.5 hour series of video lectures covers the styling of a huge Japanese Black Pine and the detailing of a Hinoki Cypress for the Kokufu Show.

Remember that guideline to avoid pigeon breasts? A strong movement of part of the trunk toward the viewer?

After visiting the Bonsai Collection at the Huntington, I carved out time to visit the adjacent Chinese Garden. It was an eye-opening experience!

A photo essay of notable repots this year, with comments.

Last weekend I had a fantastic visit to the GSBF Collection at The Huntington. I was in town for the Bonsai-A-Thon, the garden’s annual fundraiser, as a visiting artist sponsored by Joshua Roth (thanks, John and Michelle!).

For years I’ve been impressed with the bold root growth in boxes with collected yamadori, in 100% pumice. Trees as distinct as Pine and Maple have predictably strong root growth.

This is a forest of Vine Maples, Acer circinatum, that came to the studio recently. Last week we took it apart and redesigned it.

Two recent Northern California bonsai events – the Bay Area Bonsai Associates annual show and the California Shohin Seminar – featured some great trees. Here are some of the highlights along with comments about the trees’ designs.

This year, like many others, the exhibition was held in two parts. Part 1 February 8-11, and Part 2 February 13-16, 2025. On Wednesday all the bonsai were replaced with fresh masterpieces so another 200 trees could be enjoyed. Yes, I know both the English and Japanese guides say 154. However, those are the exhibit areas, not the number of individual bonsai. Many of the shohin bonsai compositions displayed six or more trees and the medium size bonsai were usually two and sometimes three individual trees.

Not far off the I-5 interstate south of Seattle is a public bonsai collection gem, Pacific Bonsai Museum. Full of diverse and top-notch specimens, for years it has served as a locus to inspire and educate us about bonsai.