For those of you pining for a great learning experience… good news! Club Member and Show Designer, Ann Erb will be our guest speaker and she will be talking about… wait for it… Pines! Ann 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 is often a guest artist at Bonsai-a-Thon, held at The Huntington every year in February. This year she will be doing a demonstration on Sunday February 24.
Ann taught bonsai classes at SBCC Adult Ed. for years. That’s where I first took classes and Ann told me I had a lot of potential. Then she took away my little Chinese fisherman and the rock he was sitting on. Turns out my tree looked much better without them. Ann has one of the largest personal collections in California, and she has been taking pottery classes and is now making her own pots.
Saturday November 16, Ann Erb Reappears!
That’s right. Two Anns are better than one! Ann will be our workshop leader in November heading up two sessions: 9 am to noon and 1 pm to 4 pm at the Goleta Valley Community Center on Hollister Ave. Check with Steve Gibson sgibson_us@yahoo.com or Tina Hammond bhammond23@cox.net for space availability. Bring several trees to work on, but leave any figurines at home.
President’s Message: Short And Bald (days And Trees, That Is)
It may still be hot and windy, but the days are getting shorter and our trees are getting ready for fall. My maple leaves may be dry and crispy like potato chips, but I briefly got a bit of yellow fall color from my ginkgo and hackberry before the wind defoliated them. Pines, at least in my care, seem to take forever to before they turn into nice bonsai. I’m looking forward to Ann’s presentation to help with their fall care.
I’m sure you remember that November is election month for the club. No current club officers are being term-limited out, so unless there are any nominations from the floor, there will be no changes for 2020.
Photos From The Recent Asian Festival At The Presidio
We had a lot of interest in our modest, yet diverse display at the annual Asian/America Neighborhood Festival, which was held at the Santa Barbara Presidio. It included Taiko Drumming, Japanese Folk Dancing, Hula Dancing, and an energetic performance from the UCSBreakin’ break dancing group, among others. Thanks to Joe Olson, Wally Kunimoto, Susanne Barrymore, Jeff Sczechowski and Ernie Witham for supplying trees. Also, special thanks to President Joe Olson for getting there early and griping about our previous location in the sun and the fact that we needed two tables not one. This year, we sat under the eaves of the Presidio and didn’t have to fight with unruly umbrellas to save our trees.
October Meeting
Our October meeting, The Good, The Bad and The Unusual, lived up to its billing. A nice variety of trees were brought in, both for show and tell and to get some expert advice. We may have failed to give much in the way of expert advice, but we did have fun seeing other people’s trees in their various states of training. Pictured are a few of the more notable examples.
Upcoming Events:
November 15-17, Thousand Oaks, California
“Huge nursery sale at California Bonsai Studio 4015 N Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks! Up to 70% off on Bonsai, pre-Bonsai, tools, and supplies. November 15-17, 2019 (Friday-Sunday).Free raffle to win a beautiful Bonsai tree! Retail value $600. Come join us for fun, snacks, and a free Bonsai demonstration….No purchase necessary, need not be present to win. (Raffle entry and discount prices only available in person at the nursery sale.) Demo is Saturday at 1 pm.” Ashley Cagle, California Bonsai Studio, www.californiabonsai.com
