Golden State Bonsai Federation XXXIII Convention Exhibit

The Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF) held their 33rd Annual Convention, “New Faces,” last weekend in Santa Clara, California. As always, the Convention featured a bonsai and suiseki exhibit. Bonsai were displayed in formal arrangements with accents – suiseki displays book-cased the bonsai at opposite ends of the room.

Although the exhibit was not large, it did a good job of representing California bonsai with trees from different parts of the state. I hope in future years the exhibit can grow larger. California is host to many bonsai clubs and has many fine trees, making the GSBF convention an excellent venue for showcasing the state’s collections for bonsai enthusiasts and the general public alike.

For those who couldn’t make it this year, here are photos of the trees in the exhibit.

California juniper

Trident maple

Crabapple

Hinoki

California juniper

Montezuma cypress

Chinese quince

Japanese black pine

Coast Redwood

California Live Oak

Boxwood

Mendocino Cypress

Shimpaku, Olive

Shohin bonsai display – Japanese black pine, white pine, trident maple, azalea, cryptomeria, and shimpaku

Who do we have to thank for assembling this exhibit? One of the convention’s “New Faces” – Peter Tea. In addition to chairing the Display Committee, Peter led a Japanese black pine workshop at the event.

Peter Tea

After studying bonsai with growing intensity for almost 10 years and starting his business, Peter Tea Bonsai, Peter is planning to continue his study in Japan next year. Which is great – Peter does outstanding work today and is aiming to do even better work tomorrow – a wonderful goal for any of us in bonsai.