Page 18 - BSAM 2016 Q4

Up Your Bonsai Game!
Bonsai Empire and Bonsai Mirai Online Bonsai Education Growing Strong
In some
ways, the
two websites we discuss here, are now o ering an experience reminiscent
of the master/ student, one-on-one relationship that has dominated bonsai since the beginning.
By Joe Grande, Canada
If you think your bonsai trees are not good enough to show or if you enter competitions and don’t even get an honorable mention, read on. Learn- ing how to develop better bonsai has never been easier thanks to bonsai artists Michael Hagedorn
and Ryan Neil.
Immigration, books and magazines, along with
conventions, have helped spread the art of bonsai all over the world. is activity was fuelled by bonsai pioneers from many countries who travelled to and from Japan. Some studied with Japanese masters, attended bonsai conventions in Japan or created opportunities for Japanese masters to visit their home country and teach there.
e advent of the Internet has energized bonsai even further. Websites and blogs allow for direct interaction with the author, helping readers engage in two-way conversations. High de nition videos on the Internet are now commonplace and many bonsai artists have produced excellent programs on many bonsai subjects.
Along with this wealth of information and knowledge, comes the challenge and difficulty of separating fact from ction and turning theoretical knowledge into successful process. e guidelines we were taught are correct and they work, but without an understanding of the internal workings of plants as well as an appreciation of the aesthetics of bonsai, we will eventually hit a point where our bonsai skills stagnate.
Bonsai Empire and Bonsai Mirai, two websites that link intent to science to technique to results, are going to change this.
In some ways, these two websites are now o ering an experience reminiscent of the master/student, one- on-one relationship that has dominated bonsai since the beginning. Students can watch in real time and interact with the teacher or play back recorded lessons whenever they wish.
Bonsai Empire and Bonsai Mirai are taking di erent approaches but both are delivering top-tier bonsai education in formats that o er students a rich learning experience. e people behind these initiatives are young bonsai professionals, keen to teach bonsai to the next generation and help others advance to the next level. ese teachers have served long and formal apprenticeships with Japanese bonsai masters and have a direct connection to a knowledge base that spans centuries. ey couple this with the latest technology to reach a virtually unlimited audience, one person at a time.
Although both websites o er free content, you’ll need to pay to truly bene t from what you can learn there. Bonsai Empire features a one-time course fee. Pay once, watch many times. Bonsai Mirai has three levels of monthly subscriptions. The cost is very reasonable when compared to other educational options, but as you’ll see for yourself, what they o er is priceless.
16 | BCI |
April/May/June 2017