January Program: Ann Erb
Not sure at press time (wow, that sounds important) what Ann’s program will be for the meeting, but it’s sure to be informative and entertaining. Last time she was our guest speaker she did a program on Sabamiki, which means hollowed trunk or split trunk. Using a chisel and brute strength, she turned a large old Brazilian Pepper tree into a tree that she will no doubt be showing in the future. For those who may not yet know Ann, she has been a member of our club since she moved to California from Minnesota a number of years ago. Ann takes her bonsai seriously; she is a member of California Bonsai Society and until recently regularly taught bonsai classes at SBCC Adult Ed. She was President of the Minnesota Bonsai Society before moving to California. She has one of the largest personal collections in California (see photo above), and Ann and her husband John Kopp also make beautiful bonsai display stands.
President’s Message:
Welcome to the New Year! I am looking forward to another good year for the club. We have a reshuffling of some of the club’s officers and one new face: Tina Hammond as Treasurer – thank you for volunteering! Tom Post, our outgoing President, is to be congratulated for the excellent job he has done these last four years. However, he needs to abandon all hope of retiring. I think I can match his enthusiasm, but I can’t hope to match his boundless energy and I hope to be able to continue to rely on him for many tasks. Please seriously consider signing up for our excellent series of Saturday workshops. Our participation levels have been down for some unknown reason. The guest instructors are all well known first rate bonsai masters and are nice people to boot. You won’t regret participating. Wally Kunimoto can answer any questions.
~ Joe
Last Month: Our Annual Christmas Party
Tom and Pat Post graciously hosted this year’s Christmas potluck at their house/art studio/bonsai & succulent garden. Between them they have created more art than Europe I think. There was a lot of great food and fun conversations and a bottle of really nice wine that I did my best to eliminate. At one point a number of us noticed a trash can high up in a towering olive tree and asked Tom about it. Tom is not really one for short answers, but after a tale of bee swarms, fishing raccoons and pesky rats, we found out it was a Tom-designed owl’s nest because owls would hunt the rats. He wasn’t sure if the owls had yet realized that or not — or the rats. One of the party highlights was the raffle. Club members donated an item or two, then bought tickets to win other people’s offerings, which they could then donate to the next raffle. This year new member Giorgio won so many times he had to borrow a wagon to take everything home. But almost everyone went home with something. I ended up with the owl’s nest (not really). Here are a few snaps from the party.
~ Ernie
Coming Events:
January 21: Bonsai Club Of Santa Barbara: 3rd Saturday Workshop With Guest Instructor.
9 AM until noon or 1 to 4 PM., Room 7, Goleta Valley Community Center. Roy Nagatoshi, guest instructor.
January 14-15, 2017: Baiko-en Bonsai Kenkyukai’s Winter Silhouettes Show
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Ayers Hall. Hours 10:30 AM until 4:30 PM. Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai will be conducting its annual Winter Silhouette show were trees will be displayed in their leafless form during Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Weekend at the Los Angeles Arboretum. There will be a benefit dinner and auction on Saturday January 14. It is one of the oldest shows running in the Southern California region and has been a tradition for 53 years. For more information, contact Lindsay Shiba at (626) 806-0937.
January 28 – 29, 2017 Oakland, California
Bay Island Bonsai Annual Bonsai Exhibit at the Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave. Show hours are 10 AM – 4 PM, both days. Saturday: Auction preview starts at Noon with auction at 1 PM Sunday: Workshop open to the bonsai community. Guided tours of the exhibit Saturday and Sunday. Vendor sales, club sales, educational bonsai material for sale and a special pot sale this year. Entry to the exhibit is free, donations accepted. Learn more and register for the workshop by calling (510) 919-5042 or visit bayislandbonsai.com/bib-annual-exhibit/
February 18 – 19, 2017 Oakland, California
GSBF Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt: The annual Mammoth Auction and Sale Fund Raiser will be held at 666 Bellevue Ave. (Garden Center Building). Saturday: Auction preview at noon with Auction starting at 1 PM. Sunday: Vendor Sales start at 9 AM, Plant Sales start at 10 AM, and demonstrations at 1 PM. The date for this year’s event is a week earlier than in the past to let attendees and vendors participate in both the Mammoth and the Bonsai-a-Thon. You are encouraged to submit your bonsai for consideration to be included in the Mammoth Auction as soon as possible. Items will be considered on a first-come-first-considered basis. The Bonsai Garden will be open 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday and Noon to 4 PM on Sunday, so you can check out the many changes that have been made this year. For more information or to sell trees, email bonsailakemerritt@gmail.com and visit www.gsbf-lakemerritt.org.
Feb. 25 – 26, 2017 San Marino, California
Bonsai-A-Thon XXI at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road. This is the annual fundraiser for the GSBF Collection at The Huntington. Event admission is free with Bonsai-A-Thon “early bird” registration between 8 AM -9 AM. Event hours are 8 AM – 4:30 PM both days. Wear your Bonsai Club of Santa Barbara nametags to get in free. Pancake breakfast, demonstrations, lunch, bonsai exhibits, large sales area, raffle and auction. For more information visit www.gsbfhuntington.com
