Boon Manakitivipart workshop and demo

On Sunday, September 25, Boon Manakitivipart will be coming to MHBS for this special event.

From 9AM to Noon, there will be a bring-your-own-tree workshop for 8 people. The fee is $50. Call or email Pauline to sign up. First come basis. After lunch, Boon will teach and demonstrate by creating the first steps in bonsai design on a club-provided tree. The tree will be raffled (club members only may purchase raffle tickets). Be sure to bring some bonsai for the show table. Remember show trees receive a free raffle ticket.

New people are always welcome to the demonstrations. Silent observers are welcome at the morning workshop.

HELP IS NEEDED IN TRANSPORTING BOON TO AND FROM OUR CLUB. PLEASE CONTACT PAULINE IF YOU CAN HELP.

A brief history of Boon:

Serious studies began for Boon when he hosted Akio Kondo, Kihachiro Kamiya’s first apprentice. Mr. Kondo arrived as what the Japanese call a first-year professional, and stayed at Boon’s home for one year.

In 1993, the Golden State Bonsai Federation awarded Boon a Teacher Development Scholarship; two years later, he received the Ben Oki International Design Award for styling a Sierra juniper. In 1995, Boon received several informal offers to study bonsai in Japan. Months later he traveled to Japan where he studied bonsai for his first year as an apprentice with Yasuo Mitsuya.

Later, Kihachi-En became his “bonsai home” Kihachiro Kamiya, a great bonsai master with multiple national awards, became his master. Boon said once, “He showed me bonsai standards through his amazing talent and deep personal integrity.” Boon returned repeatedly to Japan for prolonged periods of bonsai study until his master’s passing in January, 2004.

In April 2000, Boon won the Grand Prize in the Kindai Bonsai Styling Contest in Japan (sponsored by Kindai Bon- sai Magazine). Contestants styled large Japanese white pines. Boon was the only non-Japanese in the contest.

The World Bonsai Contest recognized Boon’s trees in 2000, 2001, and 2002 as among the world’s top 100 entries, and his students’ trees have been recognized in every contest to date.

Today Boon makes his living as a full-time bonsai artist in Northern California. He styles client trees, lectures, puts on demonstrations, holds workshops, and finds show-quality bonsai for clients.

AWARDS

2010—Second U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition (Rochester, NY). Certré Award, “The Finest Bonsai and Container Combina-
tion,” for Kingsville Boxwood entitled, “Pandora.”

2010—Bonsai Professional Certificate. Boon was awarded the “Professional Certificate” by the Nippon Bonsai Association (Professional Branch) in recognition of his five-year study of bonsai in Japan.

2008—First U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition (Rochester, NY). One of Boon’s students won the First Prize and another student won Best of Conifer.

2004—St Louis-BCI Convention. One of Boon’s students won the Best of Show and another student won Third Place.

2002—Dream Garden in Dallas. (Judged by Masahiko Kimura) Boon’s student took the First Prize. Boon won the Third Prize, with a $30 tree!

2000—Kinbon Japanese Five-Needle Pine Styling Contest. Boon wins First Place.

1999-2004—JAL, and World Bonsai Contest. Many of Boon’s bonsai and his students’ bonsai have been winners over the years. After that many awards, Boon started concentrating on other areas of bonsai display and stepped back from submitting entries. However, his students still kept winning.

1995—Ben Oki International Design Award, “Canberra Australia.” It was after this international amateur prize that Boon decided on a professional bonsai career.