Bonsai Tonight

Patience, perseverance, and humility can help us become better bonsai artists – so long as we have good teachers. Their lectures, workshops, demonstrations and guidance form the core, for many of us, of our bonsai knowledge. For inspiration, perspective and reference, we can thank the publishers.

For more than 10 years, René Rooswinkel, as Publisher, and Farrand Bloch, as Chief editor, have made an awesome contribution to bonsai literature with what is today known as Bonsai Focus. Now published in Dutch, German, English, French and Italian, Bonsai Focus defines the mainstream bonsai media in the West.

The duo was in town today to craft a story featuring Boon Manakitivipart and Michael Hagedorn so I stopped by for a visit. Not surprisingly, the mood was hardly serious.

Boon working on a Rocky Mountain juniper

Michael working on a Sierra juniper

As you can see, they are working on great material. So much so that upon returning home I immediately subscribed to Bonsai Focus so I can see the results beautifully laid out in its glossy pages.

We talked, while Mike and Boon worked on deadwood, about bonsai clubs, exhibits and professional work in Europe and the U.S. We agreed things are looking up.

René, Boon, Farrand and Michael

Thanks in no small part, of course, to the work of folks like Farrand and René. Thank you both – and keep up the good work!