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Tom Lau
- Feb 19, 2018
- 2 min
Shohin Seminar 2018 - Santa Nella California
So the beginning of this month several Baikoen members went to the Shohin Seminar in the small truck stop of Santa Nella California. It is a small truck stop right off the 5 freeway just East of Gilroy. This convention/show happens every other year and brings a ton of people in as it is one of the most affordable bonsai convention to attend this side west of the Mississippi . Linsday, Big Joe and I stayed for two days and it was money and time well spent. Like most convention
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Tom Lau
- Feb 15, 2018
- 1 min
Winter Silhouette Part #2 Candied Photos
If you know me by and follow me on FB this webmaster has a beyond a full plate. In this post I just wanted to share some candied photos of the Winter Silhouette Show. That I did not really get to share. I hope you guys enjoy! And the final picture of Al Nelson setting up his tree in the tokonama. #wintersilhouette #bonsaishow
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Tom Lau
- Nov 2, 2017
- 7 min
GSBF Riverside Convention 2017
Its been a whirlwind of a month! Work and VEX Robotics Competitions have been taking up most of my free time. But, I'm still alive and posting when I get a chance to sit in front of my personal laptop. With a VEX Robotics Competition on the same weekend of GSBF Convention all hopes of visiting on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was pretty much out the door. So I made a deal with my students to let me have Thursday off so I could come down to Riverside for the half the day to see
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Tom Lau
- Jun 6, 2017
- 2 min
Santa Anita Bonsai Club Memorial Weekend Show 2017
Last weekend Santa Anita Bonsai Club had their annual show. One show that kicks off the summer season for you as it always happens around the end of May. This range of days have bonsai in their full canopy and Satisuki Azaleas are in full bloom. I'm always impressed to see other artist tree from this club that are normally never seen before. Santa Anita Bonsai Club show revolves around a show theme. Which makes it totally unique compared to the other clubs. This year's theme
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Tom Lau
- May 17, 2017
- 2 min
Mother's Day Weekend San Pu Kai Show
Over the Mother's Day Weekend San Pu Kai had their annual show at the Carlsbad Flower Fields. Every Mother's Day weekend like every year its just been difficult to have a chance to escape to view San Pu Kai's show. But, the venue and the show is will worth the effort to come down. The venue is known for the ranunculus flower and even with the season superbloom over in Northern San Diego County the flowers were still there in full force this late into the season. Up close phot
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Tom Lau
- May 1, 2017
- 2 min
San Diego Bonsai Club Spring Show 2017
If you were in the San Diego Balboa Park area this weekend you were treated to beautiful spring show. I have to admit San Diego Bonsai Club has the best location of any club in the Southern California region. They had hundreds of non-bonsai participants walk through the exhibit and really shine a light on this craft. Spring events are my favorite because you get to enjoy the full foliage of the canopy and late spring flowers if they are timed just right. Without further words
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Tom Lau
- Feb 1, 2017
- 2 min
Winter Silhouette Show 2017 Recap
As I sit here writing this, I'm just amazed how much energy goes into make a show go seamlessly perfectly without anybody understanding the stresses behind the scenes. I'm going to try to capture that here today through quick photos of the weekend's event. The setting up of the tokonama. Fresh coat of paint! Cause it rains does not mean we punch through as fast as we can. Elaine start setting up her display. Tak just finished setting up his first formal shohin display for pub
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Tom Lau
- Jan 31, 2017
- 2 min
Winter Silhouette Show 2017 #53!
The Winter Silhouette Show that Baikoen Bonsai Club present annually for 53 years celebrates the leafless beauty of deciduous trees. In this format of a show there is no hiding of crossed or faulty branching. Its appreciating bonsai at the simplest form: the trunk line and branching. Nagata Award: Mel Ikeda This year we had the fortune of having Shirley Quan's cousin Garth professionally photograph each tree this year. Most of the photos are attributed to his work, thank you
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Tom Lau
- Jan 27, 2017
- 2 min
Winter Silhouette Show 2017 Setup #53!
As I write this post the sun is out and its kinda warm outside. It was one roller coaster of show. Cats and dogs on setup day, cold and clear on Saturday and back to cats and dogs on Sunday! Again, its amazing to see what a bunch of people working together on a common goal can accomplish in a very short period of time. Every year we start off the same way. Setting up the tables into the format we desire. Like last year, the show chair decided to have the tokonama in the off c
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Tom Lau
- Oct 10, 2016
- 1 min
2016 Kofu Kai Bonsai Club Show
This year's Kofu Kai Show at the Bowers came and went! I was not available to attend any days this year due to family and club functions (see prior post). But, Shirley Quan was able to attend and took some pictures for the blog. Thank you Shirley! If you went and like to add to this post please contact me directly. Manny Martinez - Ficus Salicaria Lindsay Shiba - Hinoki Cypress Marybel Balendonck - Cork Bark Pine John Neilsen - Cork Elm Tom Vuong - Shimpaku Juniper Al Nelson
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Tom Lau
- Aug 25, 2016
- 2 min
Nanpukai Show
The show is part of the Nisei Week Celebration in Los Angeles Little Tokyo. Nanpukai show for me usually marks the end of the summer bonsai season. Nanpukai Bonsai Club if you even call it a club is made up of members that are master bonsai artists themselves and also teach or have bonsai students. What also makes Nanpukai show unique is that the show present the trees only. No accent plant, no scroll, no stand, just the tree. In this presentation, the tree is the only true s
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Tom Lau
- Jun 13, 2016
- 2 min
Descanso Bonsai Society 47th Show
I had the pleasure of visiting Descanso Bonsai Society 47th Show this weekend. This is one of those shows that I always miss because I'm usually traveling the weekend of Father's Day. But, this year they moved the show a whole week earlier so it gave me an opportunity to drop by and enjoy the show. At the Descanso Bonsai Society show they classify their trees in two major categories: novice and master level. They differentiate the skill of the owner to they can have a fair co
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Tom Lau
- Jun 2, 2016
- 2 min
Santa Anita Bonsai Society 52nd Show
During Memorial Weekend Holiday, the Santa Anita Bonsai Society had their 52nd annual show and exhibition. This show is one of my favorite spring shows because all the trees are in their full glory. Every tree either has full pads, fully flowering, or full of juvenile fruits. Talking to Dave Miles, President of Santa Anita Bonsai Society; he says this year has been the largest showing of trees from their members of all time 47 trees. He also mentioned that the visitors so far
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Tom Lau
- May 22, 2016
- 2 min
Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai 31st Exhibit
This year I had the pleasure in having several Baikoen members join me for a short trip to Dai Ichi Kai's 31st exhibit at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center in Gardena. Dai Ichi Kai takes pride in their small yet very skill club members. Its not the biggest exhibit I have seen, but it is one of the best composed exhibit I have seen with both master and amateur level tree displays. I always love to see club shows that showcase both up and coming members and the always fascinatin
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Tom Lau
- Apr 28, 2016
- 2 min
San Diego Bonsai Club Spring Show and Adventure!
San Diego is one of those cities that feel far away but its really in our backyard. I totally forget how close San Diego is until get packed and start heading down. I did not part take in the bus ride down this year, but made it a weekend trip with the family. We (my family and I) started the day by heading to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. It was a beautiful day great warm weather and a 20% chance of rain. Which never materialize. But, I never knew that the zoo had a hidd
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Tom Lau
- Jan 25, 2016
- 3 min
Winter Silhouette Reception
Is it a reception, party, grand get together, or friendly competition? I have to say its all of the above. It is a time for bonsai friends to talk about the show and how the year has shaped up for most people. It is also the time of the year the first main show dawns upon us as this marks the beginning of the show season for 2016. We had a ton of visitors coming from around the area to the reception this year. But the masses came from San Diego Bonsai Club on their annual bus
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Tom Lau
- Jan 24, 2016
- 2 min
Winter Silhouette Show 2016 #52!
I always say its nice to be part of somthing that has history behind it. This club has history and seeing it evolve for the past 4.5 years has been awesome. This is been my 4 show and it seems to get better or at least I understand enough to see all the moving parts needed to make this show so great. The Winter Silhouette Show that Baikoen Bonsai Club present annually for 52 years celebrates the leafless beauty of deciduous trees. In this format of a show there is no hiding o
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Tom Lau
- Oct 2, 2015
- 2 min
Kofukai Bonsai Club Fall Show
Fall time for bonsai is an interesting time. All the major shows has past and we all are trying to survive our heat wave of late Summer. Just like the Nanpukai Show, its really refreshing to see trees in their Summer outfit one more time before the Fall colors show up. I have true respect for all these presenters because, getting moss and accent to show quality is pretty difficult in our climate of Southern California with 100+ degree heat. Kofukai's show is presented in the
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