Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai

Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Club

Category: Bonsai Display Page 1 of 2

2024 BONSAI SHOW

The Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai and
Yamato Bonsai Kai invite you to their
joint Bonsai Show!

Location: Lakeside Park Garden Center,
666 Bellevue Ave., Lake Merritt,
Oakland, California

May 18, 2024: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
May 19, 2024: 10:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Featuring Azalea bonsai in full color and fine
bonsai in formal displays!

Large member tree sales and
imported Japanese material.
Vendor Area
Free admission
Public parking available
Demonstrations by clubs –
BASA Demo: May 18: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Darren Wong working on Satsuki Azalea bonsai.
Yamato Demo: May 19: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

BASA and Yamato Bonsai club will both have
members sales along with bonsai vendors.

  • Soh-Ju-En Satsuki Bonsai
  • Jerry Braswell
  • Dave Chimpky
  • Janelly’s Bonsai
  • Mikal Edwards

23rd Annual Spring Show by Candace Key

The Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai welcomed visitors to their 23rd annual show of flowering satsuki azalea bonsai on May 19-20 at the Garden Center at Lake Merritt in Oakland, CA. BASA is one of the few bonsai clubs dedicated to one type of bonsai which makes the show a rare opportunity for lovers of bonsai to see well developed trees in a very colorful display. Many of the trees exhibited were brought to the US from Japan and illustrated the fine form and mature growth of their pedigrees. Vendors Sho-Ju-En and North American Satsuki Bonsai Center, who import satsuki from Japan, were on hand to sell trees to those interested in beginning or adding to their own satsuki azalea collections.

This year’s show featured activities throughout the weekend highlighted by a styling demonstration by sensei Johnny Uchida on Saturday, culminating with his beautiful demonstration tree being won by BASA member Dennis Hawkins. On Saturday the club offered a beginning satsuki azalea class taught by senior members Rick Garcia and Darren Wong. Students were given instruction on developing, wiring, and maintaining their small colorful trees, a good start to their budding collections. On both days members doing seasonal care on their own trees answered questions and provided insights on the specifics of growing satsuki azaleas.

BASA has always welcomed suiseki and viewing stones in their displays, believing they are a natural complement to colorful azalea bonsai. This year the California Suiseki Society was invited to show a separate display of their stones alongside the bonsai. This collaboration proved very successful, eliciting many questions and wide interest among visitors to the show. A variety of stones were exhibited, including desert stones, figure stones, and traditional mountain stones, with most coming from California locations, showing off the rich resources we are so blessed to have nearby.

Among the satsuki azaleas there were several notable trees among the many treasures displayed: the Gyoten by Gordon Deeg was the centerpiece of the show, exhibiting mature growth in a large silhouette enhanced by graceful movement in the trunk and a profusion of flowers; Darren Wong’s beautiful cascade Suzu No Homare in a Satomi pot was widely admired; Gordon also showcased a novel presentation combining several trees and an elegant sculpture in a singular statement; but perhaps the most moving display was the Yamato satsuki Ray Moore contributed to the show. All of Ray’s magnificent bonsai, Japanese pots, stands, and tools were destroyed in the Santa Rosa fires in October 2017. Reeling from the loss, but undeterred Ray rose like the Phoenix with the help of teacher and mentor Rick Garcia and has been aggressively building a new collection this year. The imposing Yamato stood as a tribute to Ray’s resilience and spirit, an inspiration to all.

If you missed the show this year we hope you can attend next year on the third weekend of May.

23rd Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai Annual Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Show – May 19 & 20, 2018

The Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai (BASA) held their annual Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Show on May 19 and 20, 2018, at the Lakeside Park Garden Center, Lake Merritt, in Oakland, California. It was a “celebration of color” with the Satsuki Azalea bonsai in full bloom. A special display of suiseki (viewing stones) was presented by the California Suiseki Club. A great demonstration on Saturday was performed by Johnny Uchida on a Satsuki Azalea bonsai. On Sunday, a beginners class on creating Satsuki Azalea bonsai took place.

Here are some highlighted images of the Satsuki Azalea bonsai on display.

Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai – Annual Spring Show

Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai (BASA) 22nd Annual Show

On 20 and 21 May 2017, at Lakeside Park Garden Center, Oakland, California, the Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai (BASA) held their 22nd Annual Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Show. Featuring Satsuki Azalea bonsai in full bloom. There were vendor and member sales, including imported from Japan Satsuki Azalea bonsai. Silent auctions and expert advise on hand made the show more exciting and informational. This year’s theme was “It’s all about the flowers in May.” Here are some photographs of the show bonsai.

Satsuki Azalea Bonsai at 8th World Bonsai Convention

I attended the 8th World Bonsai Convention (WBC), April 27-30, 2017, at Saitama City, Japan. The exhibition and vendor Satsuki Azalea Bonsai were beautiful. Here are some photos of the exhibit and vendor trees. Excursions included the Omiya Bonsai Village, Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, and the Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine. Something about the WBC. It’s held every four years. The 1st WBC was held in Japan 28 years ago. The next World Bonsai Convention will take place in the City of Perth, Australia in 2021.

Bonsai Display by Jonas Dupuich

BONSAI DISPLAY BY JONAS DUPUICH

Our Bay Area Satsuki Azalea club meeting at the Lake Merritt Garden Center in Oakland, on March 23, 2017 was especially interesting and well-attended. The guest speaker was Jonas Dupuich, who brought along a variety of trees and display stands and an extensive knowledge of the often subtle but decisive art of display. Jonas, a founding member of BASA, began his presentation by discussing the different ways azaleas are shown: as purely flower displays, as bonsai with or without some flowers, and as deciduous bare trees so that the development of the structure is paramount. He also provided an excellent handout itemizing how to prepare our trees for exhibit – many reminders that all of us can use at show time.

 The interactive presentation began with a discussion of the display stands which ranged from formal to informal, from light colored finishes to darker ones, and from tall or short to flat trays. Jonas explained the uses and placement of these and the other elements of a display, such as secondary trees, accent plants, and scrolls to create a harmonious presentation. Members of the club were called on to express opinions and preferences, and then the somewhat loose set of rules and conventions that govern the art of display were applied to the results to demonstrate how to optimize the final result.

It was of interest to note that many of the “rules” seemed to be principles that a person with an education in design, or one of great sensitivity and some experience, would probably choose to follow automatically. For example, large, strong trees were shown to look their best in the formal style of presentation: larger stands of darker finish, rectangular rather than square shapes, straighter lines, simpler design and uncomplicated appearance. Of course, the opposite was demonstrated to be true as well: more delicate trees looked best on stands of lighter colors, curved legs, oval or round or more square shapes.

 Once a tree was properly set, Jonas added accent plants and scrolls that harmonized in color, size and tone, and that accurately suggested the season and geographical area that the artist wished to depict.

 The presentation by Jonas was informative and well-paced, with handouts to read and plenty of trees and stands to demonstrate, and he also used the trees and pots and ideas that members brought in the process. This high quality of presentation and thorough approach can always be expected from him, and it was a pleasure to participate.

– Chris Ross

 

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