Community Events
Visiting Artist: Kris Springer
Sunday, Sunday, February 16, 2025. 10:00am - 3:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
We are pleased to announce a special BYOT Sunday workshop featuring bonsai artist Kris Springer with Black Dodge Bonsai. Kris Springer is a passionate collector and artist who specializes in Larch and Yamadori bonsai. With a particular fondness for American Larch and Eastern White Cedar, he has a deep appreciation for the raw beauty of trees that come from wild environments. Although he favors these species, Kris collects a wide variety of bonsai material, each tree offering its own unique potential. His journey into the world of bonsai began under the mentorship of bonsai artist Nick Lenz, a training that shaped his unconventional yet deeply insightful approach to the art form.
What sets Kris apart in the bonsai world is his willingness to break the traditional rules of bonsai. Rather than adhering strictly to conventional styles, he embraces a more fluid and expressive approach, allowing the natural features of the tree to shine through. By incorporating accent pieces and gently molding the trees, Kris enhances the inherent beauty of each specimen, ensuring that the final piece tells a story of both nature and artistry. His work celebrates the raw, untamed qualities of the trees while also showcasing his skill in guiding them into a harmonious, living piece of art.
Our store is open for shopping during the event.
Lunar New Year Festival at the Huntington
Southern Breeze Bonsai Society : Educational Stylings by Jason Chan and Eastern Leaf
Saturday, Feb 1 - Sunday, Feb 2
Celebrate the lunar new year and welcome the Year of the Snake at The Huntington. This family-friendly event features lion dancers, a mask-changing artist, martial arts demonstrations, music, art and craft demonstrations, and more.
Anime Expo Chibi - Ontario, CA
Sunday, Sunday,November 9, 2024. Ontario Convention Center
Bonsai Workshop Details:
Date and Time: November 9, 2024, from 1:30PM - 3:00PM
Location: Ontario Convention Center, Ballroom B
Workshop: Bonsai Artistry
What to Expect:
Hands-On Experience: Learn the ancient art of bonsai from expert instructors who will guide you through each step of creating your own miniature masterpiece. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a complete beginner, this workshop is designed for all skill levels! Anime Meets Nature: Explore how the intricate beauty of bonsai aligns with the imaginative world of anime. Get inspired by your favorite anime themes and characters as you craft your bonsai tree. Take Home Your Creation: Leave the workshop with a beautiful bonsai that you nurtured yourself—a perfect keepsake from the expo!
Visiting Artist: Elle Nieti-Brodnick
Sunday, Sunday, November 17, 2024. 10:00am - 3:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
We are pleased to announce a special Sunday workshop featuring bonsai Artist Elle Nieto-Brodnick, originally from Agno, Pangasinan. Elle stumbled upon her deep-seated love for the intricate art of bonsai and the nurturing process during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic while actively working in healthcare. Her journey commenced with immersing herself in online videos and attending enlightening lectures, which eventually paved the way for her to participate in enriching workshops and educational sessions conducted by esteemed individuals such as Todd Schlafer, Andy Smith, Owen Reich, and Will Baddeley. In her initial years of honing her craft under the guidance of Bjorn Bjorholm and
Mauro Stemberger, she exhibited unwavering dedication as a student, consistently enhancing and refining her skills.
Presently, she imparts her knowledge by teaching novice to intermediate bonsai enthusiasts at The Hidden Gardens alongside her peers, steadily progressing towards establishing herself as a promising bonsai artist in the making.
Our store is open for shopping during the event.
Visiting Artist: Lili Tello Ortiz
Sunday, Sunday, July 21, 2024. 10:00am - 3:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
We are pleased to announce a special Sunday workshop featuring bonsai Artist Lili Tello Ortiz from Colombia. Lili is a highly esteemed Latin American bonsai artist who has gained recognition through her international demonstrations. With a background in medicine, she pursued her passion for bonsai alongside her medical career. Her debut event was the Black Scissors in China, where she showcased her skills on a Juniper. She started bonsai as a hobby, educating herself by watching videos; she then got together with a group of people in her local area once a month to work on trees. As her passion increased, she started working on trees more often. She decided to post her bonsai on social media. People loved her work, and she started to get recognition, which led her to do demos internationally. Lili prioritizes understanding the species she works with to ensure the well-being of the trees before focusing on the design aspect.
Our store is open for shopping during the event.
Visiting Artist: Kaya Mooney
Sunday, May 19, 2024. 10:00am - 3:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
We are excited to announce a special Sunday workshop featuring bonsai artist Kaya Mooney. Kaya is a 27-year-old American who is passionate about bonsai and studied in Japan for five years. He had the opportunity to travel to Osaka, Japan, where he apprenticed under the renowned bonsai Master Keichii Fujikawa, allowing him to immerse himself in bonsai cultivation, care, and design.
Kaya’s dedication and passion for bonsai can be seen through his work. He is due to receive a certification as a bonsai professional from the Nippon Bonsai Association this May, which is a great personal achievement. With this certification, he is now positioned to become a dedicated teacher within the American bonsai community, sharing his knowledge and inspiring others.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from a skilled and knowledgeable bonsai artist like Kaya Mooney.
Join us for this exciting workshop! Click here to sign up.
Our store is open for shopping during the event.
Visiting Artist: Michael Ryan Bell
Sunday, February 18, 2023. 10:00am - 12:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
Come see visiting artist Michael Ryan Bell, who specializes in pottery history. In 2008, Michael Ryan Bell began digging into his bonsai journey; by 2010, he bought his first quality container. In his attempt to acquire information about this pot and others, he discovered a lack of information available in English. This catapulted him on his quest to create an pot artisan database featuring artist profiles and biographies to raise awareness to people in the bonsai community of the standards of appreciation, awareness, and selection of quality bonsai containers. At this time, there are more bonsai-specific pottery artist marks on the japanesebonsaipots.net database than any single publication, available in different languages and still growing. His knowledge and passion has allowed him to lectured at the National Bonsai Exhibitions in America and the United Kingdom, the Golden State Bonsai convention as a co-headliner, and nearly 100 clubs and organizations, and also serves on the board for the American Bonsai Society. If you are interested in joining the workshop, click the link below.
Our store is open for shopping during the event.
Visiting Kusamono Artist: Young Choe
Thursday, February 22, 2023. 10:00am - 3:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
Come see visiting artist Young Choe, who specializes in kusamono. Kusamono is the art of potted accent arrangements featuring wild grasses and flowers displayed in unique pots or trays to suggest a season or a place to accompany bonsai. The artist Young Choe studied traditional art in Korea before moving to the United States and earning her BS in horticulture. She was active in volunteering at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, bringing her knowledge of horticulture and art together to create kusamono. Her passion for the arts took her to Japan to study with the master kusamono artist, Keiko Yamane. With her knowledge and experience, she enjoys conducting workshops and lectures globally to share her knowledge and passion. She will be conducting a hands on workshop to create a kusamono from start to finish. If you are interested in joining the workshop, click the link below.
Our store is open for shopping during the event.
Visiting Bonsai Artist: Hugo Zamora from Mexico City
Sunday, November 19, 2023. 10:00am - 3:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
Come see visiting artist Hugo Zamora from Mexico City, with Kodama Bonsai. Hugo studied in Tokyo under the Japanese Bonsai master Kunio Kobayashi; after completing his apprenticeship, he continues to travel to Japan to work at the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum. He is a well-traveled artist visiting over 20 countries sharing his unique perspective on bonsai and styling through judging, curating private collections, demonstrations, and workshops. His travels have allowed him to obtain a broader understanding of different species. He will be available for questions. If you are interested in joining the workshop, click the link below.
Southern Breeze Bonsai Society : Demonstration Jason Chan
Saturday, November 4, 2023. 9:30am - 12:00pm, Eastern Leaf Nursery
Please join us for an exciting live bonsai styling event at the new Eastern Leaf bonsai nursery on Saturday, November 4th at 9:30 a.m. Bonsai artist Jason Chan will conduct the demonstration. After the demonstration, the tree will be raffled off. Our store is open for shopping during the event.