2016 PNBCA Bonsai Convention - Olympia, WA - October 13-16, 2016

Convention Featured Artist: Matt Reel

Following an eight-year apprenticeship in Japan with Shinji Suzuki, Matt returned to the US in 2014 and is now located in Portland as a member of the Portland Bonsai Village. Matt is known for his broad expertise in a wide range of conifers and deciduous trees, as well as his knowledge of bonsai pots and bonsai display aesthetics. Matt is increasingly in demand as a presenter, due to his highly refined styling of trees, combined with his appealing manner. He also serves as a caretaker of bonsai for serious aficionados. Matt’s work on a large juniper was featured in the January 2015 issue of the Japanese bonsai magazine, Kinbon (http://crataegus.com/tag/matt-reel/). 

As of July 7, there’s still a chance to register for Matt’s convention workshop on Tsukomo Cypress. Register now for a chance to learn from Matt!

Convention Innovations 2016

Stone collecting trip

This year’s convention features for the first time a full-day stone hunting expedition to the nearby Skokomish River on Thursday October 13.  Organized by PSBA “stoners” and led by well-known daiza carver Patrick Metiva, this trip is your chance to play rock hound for a day. Explore amid beautiful Northwest fall scenery and search the riverbed for suiseki in the rough. Participation is limited to the first 20 registrants, so sign up now for this one-of-a-kind experience.

Bring-your-own Tree

No, not BYOB, bring your own tree! Following the success of these sessions at the Portland PNBCA convention, workshop attendees will have the chance to bring their own material. This is a great opportunity for advanced practitioners, who may not normally sign up for workshops. Even trees that are fully refined can benefit from another point of view.

As of July 7, we still have openings in bring-your-own-tree sessions with two of the convention’s featured artists. Daisaku Nomoto is a Koko-Fu prizewinner, people! Suthin Sukosolvisit “is really gifted with shohin; he can take a normal looking little juniper and turn it into a sweet little tree.”

Don’t miss out on the chance of personal input from leading artists. Register today!