Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation Membership Drive

We need your help.  The objective of the Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation is to preserve legacy bonsai to pass on to the next generation by training people to develop and care bonsai that will be showed to the public in a bonsai exhibit garden at the Burden Museum and Gardens.  We need members to help take care of the bonsai on exhibit and prepare other bonsai to go on exhibit.  You can also attend bonsai workshop class conducted by the best bonsai teachers in the world.  November 16, we will have bonsai classes conducted by Randy Bennett who specializes on Japanese maples and bald cypress, Lawrence LeClaire who specializes doing Japanese black pines and junipers, and Joe Day who specializes in broad leaf evergreens.   No Bonsai experience is needed to join, just a desire to promote bonsai art and education.  

We hope to get enough members to enable us solicit support from businesses and the public to hire a collection curator.  This will be a very valuable asset to whole Gulf Coast region and the bonsai clubs. 

Contact Robert Reed, rareed@loyno.edu , or Lowell Tilley, lowelltilley@gmail.com, for more information.

Bonsai Classes

The Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation is going forward on developing the bonsai exhibit garden at the LSU Burden Gardens and Museum.  The membership drive is underway and slowly building momentum.  We continuing to develop our training program that is main component of our plan to display and preserve legacy bonsai for future generations.

We are developing three bonsai classes, beginning bonsai, intermediate bonsai and advanced bonsai.  We have three world class bonsai experts, Lawrence LeClaire, Joe Day, and Randy Bennett, teaching and conducting hands-on bonsai workshop for Japanese black pine, junipers, broadleaf, and Japanese maple bonsai.  These continuing bonsai workshops to develop specimen bonsai.  The next advanced bonsai classes will be June 15 for Japanese black pines, junipers, and broadleaf bonsai is set of June 15, time and place TBA.

We have several people signed up for beginning bonsai classes and are working getting instructors, a place, and time.  We are planning to schedule these classes to accommodate bonsai hobbyist who work and have other commitments.  If you are interesting in signing up for beginning bonsai, intermediate bonsai, or advanced bonsai class, please send an email with your name, which class, with what day of the week, and time of day you would like to schedule your class to lowelltilley@gmail.com.  The cost of the class is $40 plus the cost of materials.  Also include any questions or suggestions you have.

We need your support.  Membership is open to anyone who is interested preserving legacy bonsai, developing specimen bonsai, and expanding the art of bonsai to improve our community.  Annual membership is $30.  To join, please send your name and contact information to Robert Reed, membership coordinator, 38298 Oakleigh Lane, Prairieville, LA 70769.  Checks should be payable to Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation.

Japanese Black Pine and Broadleaf Continuing Bonsai Classes

The Japanese Black Pine/juniper and broadleaf Continuing Bonsai Classes/Seminars are scheduled for December 8 at Waddill Outdoor Educational Center, 4142 Flannery Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70814.  The class/workshops will be divided into two sections, pines and broadleaf bonsai with morning classes and afternoon classes to enable everyone to participate in both pines and broadleaf bonsai workshops.  The classes will start at 9:00.  Lawrence LeClaire who has many years’ experience and has a very good Japanese black pine and juniper bonsai collection, will conduct the “bring your own tree” workshop.  Lawrence has concentrated his study on exactly what needs to be done on pines and junipers at each stage and season of development to bring your bonsai to the next stage. 

Joe Day is conducting the broadleaf bonsai class/seminar who is a bonsai expert that has been teaching bonsai and art for about 30 years.  He has many years’ experience conducting bonsai workshops and has developed many innovative bonsai techniques. It would be very hard to find someone who knows more about developing and caring for bonsai in our climate.  He has developed a system of developing bonsai in stages to develop very fine bonsai.  He also has a very large and very good bonsai collection.

The plan is to bring your pine or juniper and your broadleaf bonsai you have worked on in previous classes to continue to develop your bonsai to the next level, however you can start a new bonsai.  This makes is possible for new students to start at any stage and continue until it reaches stage 9.  These workshop/seminars are designed for the observer and participates to learn new bonsai technique regardless of level of bonsai experience.  You may bring more than one bonsai for each class.  You may not be able to work on more than one bonsai due to time constraints, but you can get development suggestions on the additional bonsai.

These are continuing bonsai classes where continue to bring the same bonsai back to do the next step in their development; however, anyone can start with a new or different bonsai at any class.  There is no restriction on attendance, if you miss one, you come to the next one.  All class are open for new students, the only requirement is that you have a bonsai or pre-bonsai plant.  These classes a custom made for the bonsai hobbyist (weekend warrior).  They designed for hands-on learning to help you develop your bonsai collection.

Summer 2016 Japanese Black Pine and broadleaf Continuing Bonsai Classes

The Japanese Black Pine/juniper and broadleaf Continuing Bonsai Classes/Seminars workshop was conducted by Lawrence LeClaire and Joe Day June 4 at Waddill Outdoor Educational Center, Baton Rouge, LA.  The class/workshops were divided into two sections, pines and broadleaf bonsai with morning classes and afternoon classes to enable everyone to participate in both pines and broadleaf bonsai workshops. 

Joe Day started with a general lecture on broadleaf bonsai before starting detail instructions in the workshop.  Next, Lawrence LeClaire gave a general lecture what needed to be done to the pines and how it should be done.

Joe Day Giving a General Lecture on Broadleaf Bonsai 

Lawrence LeClaire Giving a General Instructions on Cutting Candles

Then Joe and Lawrence started instructing each participant on what should be done on their bonsai.  After lunch and everyone was finished with work on their bonsai, raffle tickets were drawn to give away bonsai items donated by Joe, Lawrence, and other workshop participants.  Lawrence said he was pleased with progress in development to the pine bonsai in the workshop.

Bonsai Events

·         June 6, Fort Walton Beach Bonsai Society annual auction, viewing 12:00 – 1:00, auctions starts at 1:00.  See http://www.bonsai-fwb.com/ for more information.

·         June 13, 7:00 PM, at Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society (GNOBS) meeting, Joe Day will do a bonsai lecture/demo and bonsai workshop on Sat. at the Marine Corps League Hall, 2708 Delaware St., Kenner, LA.

·         June 20, Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation Japanese Black Pine continuing bonsai class,  broadleaf bonsai continuing bonsai class and annual meeting.  More information to come. 

·         June 27, Mississippi Gulf Coast Bonsai Society – special bonsai workshop conducted by Rodney Clements.

·         June 29, Bonsai Society of Acadiana - – special bonsai workshop conducted by Rodney Clements.

·         June 30, Lake Charles Bonsai Society - special bonsai lecture/demo conducted by Rodney Clements.

·         July 4, 2015, Noon to 3:00 Lake Charles Bonsai Society special bonsai workshop conducted by Owen Reich.

·         July 5, 2015, 3:00 to 8:00 Louisiana Bonsai Society special bonsai workshop/demo conducted by Owen Reich.

·         July 25, 2015, Louisiana Bonsai Societies (LABS) Day of Bonsai hosted by LBS, Baton Rouge

·         September 2015: American Bonsai: Reforged & Refined hosted by Ryan Neil at the Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR. Details at www.artisanscupofportland.com

LSU Student Union Bonsai Classes: Lowell Tilley is doing bonsai classes for LSU Leisure Classes. 

June, 13, June 27, and July 11, 9:00 am to 12:00 - Bonsai Workshop - Beginners

Start your own bonsai and learn basic bonsai styles, how to water and fertilize.  Get hands on training on pruning bonsai, bonsai tree styling, making bonsai soil, potting bonsai, and selecting a suitable bonsai pot.

July 11, 12:00 - 2:00 pm - Bonsai Workshop – Improving Your Bonsai.  Continuing development of your bonsai.

June, 13 and 27, 12:00 to 2:00 pm – Bonsai Workshop – Advance Bonsai Techniques, Learn how to develop more advanced bonsai design and styling such as root-over-rock, fusion grafting, etc. 

More information is online at http://lsuunion.augusoft.net/  (general information) http://lsuunion.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassListing.ClassListingDisplay  (bonsai class schedules) 

Japanese Black Pines Continuing Education Bonsai Classes Dec. 6

The Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation is sponsoring Japanese Black Pines continuing education bonsai classes three times a year. We are ready to start the second year of the classes conducted by Lawrence LeClaire.  Developing black pine bonsai can be very challenging and rewarding.  Black pines have some unique growing characteristics that can be non-forgiving of mistakes that can take a long time to correct and a long time with “trial and error” learning if not impossible.  These classes will help you through “hands on learning” to understand the growing patterns and techniques for developing black pine bonsai.  The plan is for you work on the same pine each class. 

Lawrence LeClaire who has been developing Japanese Black Pine Bonsai for years is instructing us on what needs to be done at the right season and correct stage of the development.  The classes are structured for you to start at any class and skip a class if you are unable to attend.  He accomplishes this by instructing you with your own black pine bonsai and using his own collection of black pine bonsai in various stages of development as examples and bonsai to practice working on.   

The next class will be December 6 at the Burden Conference Center, Burden Museum and Gardens, 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge.   The cost is $42 to participate and $12 to observe with lunch included. The proceeds will go to Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation to help maintain a bonsai collection and develop a bonsai exhibit garden.

Lawrence sent some instructions to prep for the class.  Please RSVP so I can estimate the numbers for lunch and send you the prep instructions.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me,  225-272-6744 or email lowelltilley@gmail.com 

The Biloxi Public Library, 580 Howard Ave., will host Mississippi Gulf Coast Bonsai Society’s Ninth Annual Bonsai Exhibit Saturday October 25, 2014, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.  “Bookstore to Bonsai” demonstrations at 10:30 and 1:30. 

For more information see http://www.msgulfcoastbonsai.org/