The Golden State Bonsai Federation’s 37th Convention was host to the 2014 Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Competition. The event has become one of the better venues for recognizing new bonsai talent in North America. From the ABS website:
The Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Competition is an annual competition to recognize and promote new bonsai talent in North America. First prize is no more than $1,000 toward an exclusive course of instruction with an approved bonsai teacher. The first stage of the competition is a judging of photographs of previously designed trees by the entrant. The second stage will be the actual production of a bonsai during the GSBF/ABS Convention, Oct. 30, 2014 at the Double Tree Hotel Sacramento CA. Joshua Roth and the American Bonsai Society are sponsoring this contest.
This year’s contest featured junipers. By the time I arrived at the convention, the work was complete. Top honors – and congratulations – go to Ryan Nichols of Back to the Roots Bonsai for his winning entry.
Ryan Nichol’s winning entry
Before
Before
Ryan at work
Congratulations to each of the entrants for accomplishing so much with their trees in a limited period of time – well done!
Tree #2
Tree #3
Tree #4
Tree #7
Tree #8 by Ron Anderson
Tree #8 before
Tree #8 before – trunk detail
Subscribe to Bonsai Tonight
New Posts Delivered Every Tuesday and Friday
Eric Schrader says
Any idea what happened to the trees afterward? Are they for sale, or given to the participants?
Jonas Dupuich says
Good question – does anyone know?
ron anderson bonsai says
They were sold to us at a great price…most of us took them. One tree the one Stacy design was sold at the gsbf nightly fund raiser. My tree was number 8. My student Shawn Silbaughs tree was #1.
Ryan Nichols says
Hi Jonas! First I’d like to thank you for making a post about this great event. It was an honor for me to participate and come away with the victory. According to many sources, the trees we started with for this year’s New Talent Contest were monsters compared to previous years (30-35 year old San Jose juniper nursery stock with 3-4″ trunks provided by Scott Chad). Most of the contestants will agree that we all had out work cut out for us! ABS gave the contestants the option to buy their trees or donate them to the GSBF auction later that week. I believe most of the contestants decided to purchase their trees once they say how good large and old the trees were.
I have a before picture of my tree that I can send to you if you’d like.
Jonas Dupuich says
Thanks for the details Ryan and Ron! I’d love to see the before shot – feel free to send it and I’ll update the post.