Clovis Senior Activities Center
This month, we are pleased to present president of the Sei Boku Bonsai Kai in San Mateo, Steve Iwaki.
This meeting is open to all Club Membe...
Clovis Senior Activities Center
Clovis Senior Activities Center
This month, we are pleased to present Adam Toth.
This meeting is open to all Club Members and visitors. Bring a tree to work on and be prepar...
Clovis Senior Activities Center
Clovis Senior Activities Center
This month, we are pleased to present Julian Tsai, one of the youngest and most energetic bonsai masters operating in the U.S.
This meeting i...
Clovis Senior Activities Center
Clovis Senior Activities Center
This month, we are pleased to present Sam Adina, sensei (teacher) of the Modesto Bonsai Club.
This meeting is open to all Club Members and vi...
Clovis Senior Activities Center
Clovis Senior Activities Center
Don’t miss the 2024 Fresno Bonsai Society Fall Sale and Auction. Browse hundreds of fully developed bonsai, a huge variety of pots, a wide r...
Clovis Senior Activities Center
Steve Iwaki is a second-generation bonsai artist. His father, Ted Iwaki, was one of the founding members of the California Bonsai Society in the 1950’s. Steve’s personal bonsai journey began over 30 years ago when he discovered a bonsai class at a local recreation center. It was taught by Japanese gardeners, much like the group his father socialized with when he was growing up. Today, Steve is the president Sei Boku Bonsai Kai in San Mateo and regularly displays, collects, teaches, and demonstrates throughout California.
At this meeting, Steve will be helping intermediate attendees style 20 year old multi-truck collected boxwoods into an oak-style bonsai. The small leaves and fine-fissured bard on boxwoods make them ideal for bonsai material.
Adam fell in love with bonsai over a decade ago. After apprenticing for over three years with Taiga Urushibata at the Taisho-en bonsai garden in Shizuoka, Adam returned to the U.S. and established himself as a well-respected young professional.
In this educational seminar, he will provide instruct on "Tree Styling and Development Techniques."
Sam Adina serves as the sensei (teacher) of the Modesto Bonsai Club and has spent the last two decades growing, designing and instructing bonsai. He is recognized as on the leading professionals in the art and has conducted presentations for the Golden State Bonsai Federation, California Shohin Society, and numerous bonsai venues in the Philippines.
According to Adina, bonsai is his way of relaxing after a strenuous day at work. “I find a challenge with every treet because each is totally different. Bonsai art makes me happy and I love to study how each plant will grow and develop into the future. I never tire of it, whether it’s for my own collection or for a customer.”
Julian Tsai is a full-time bonsai professional and artist based out of Southern California. In 2018, Tsai began an apprenticeship in Osaka, Japan under Keiichi Fujikawa of Fujikawa Kouka-en.
After returning to the US, Julian furthered his skillset by learning from professionals Peter Tea and John Wang. In 2022, he launched his career as a full-time bonsai professional, launching his business "Just Bonsai."
Today, he collaborates with customers, works on collections, and provides educational services.
"Bonsai, in its origin, is a multi-generational practiced art. That is to say in both respects, the medium (the tree) and practice exceeds the human lifespan. Trees, like us, are living and thus constantly changing and growing. Just as we strive to continuously learn and improve our own lives, we can adopt similar principles which bring the best out of our trees.
- Philosophy of Julian Tsai
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