Best Bonsai Education

yenling83

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I'm curious, for about $3500 to spend/year on Bonsai Lessons, workshops and classes, what route do you believe would benefit you most in several years? What would improve your skills the most?

Who, what, where, when, why would you take these workshops, classes and lessons from? This $3500 does not include any money you would spend on anything else(trees, materials, etc.) Although you must account for all your travel costs w/ the $3500.
 
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cquinn

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Buy a plane ticket to Japan.
 

yenling83

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Telling us where you are from would help narrow down your options....
Will,
I was more asking, what you would do personally if you were to spend $3500? Also, if would be interesting to hear what you would do education wise if you were starting over again in Bonsai?

I really think lessons, workshops, formal education etc... are very important and are not discussed enough. I am always interested in finding out more info on how, where in with who I can improve my skills.

Paul
I completed my first Intensive with Boon and am signed up for my next one in Nov! Pure Awesomeness. I really feel Boon's intensive's are a great option for almost anyone interested in learning Bonsai.

CQuinn
What specifically would you do w/ a plain ticket to Japan? How much would that cost total? Who would you study under?
 
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pauldogx

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I'd look into having one of the travekling artists visit you and your trees for a cople of days or working one on one with the folks who offer those services like Boon, Colin Lewis, Sean Smith, Suthin etc.
 

JasonG

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If I had a job and all that and couldn't get away for periods of time then I would think that in America TODAY Boons intensives would be the best start you could get and the best education available in America. And $3500 would cover the cost for the full intensives for the year I think.

If I could get away for a few months I would go to Japan. I saw an article in Bonsai Focus where some Europeans when there and you pay to do a 3 month course I think, maybe it was 6 weeks. But you worked in a full blown bonsai nursery on kokofu, Taiken, etc.. quality trees. 3 months doing nothing but tree work 7 days a week, working on the best quality material and getting instructed the whole time would be IMO the best education you could get anywhere in the world. When doing this type of study you don't start with watering or pulling weeds, no you start working on trees right away.

If I could go back in time I would have went to Japan right away and did an apprenticeship I think.

Just my thoughts :)

Jason
 

yenling83

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If I could get away for a few months I would go to Japan. I saw an article in Bonsai Focus where some Europeans when there and you pay to do a 3 month course I think, maybe it was 6 weeks. But you worked in a full blown bonsai nursery on kokofu, Taiken, etc.. quality trees. 3 months doing nothing but tree work 7 days a week, working on the best quality material and getting instructed the whole time would be IMO the best education you could get anywhere in the world. When doing this type of study you don't start with watering or pulling weeds, no you start working on trees right away.



Jason

That would be awesome. If there is ever a period of 3 months that I can take off, maybe in between jobs or something, I would love to do something like this. I wonder what type of price you might be looking at? Also, how would you arrange something like this. Thanks for your input Jason.
 

pauldogx

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You might check with Bill Valavanis---he travels to Japan frequently. He may be able to point you in the right direction.
 

Tachigi

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If I had a job and all that and couldn't get away for periods of time then I would think that in America TODAY Boons intensives would be the best start you could get and the best education available in America. And $3500 would cover the cost for the full intensives for the year I think.

Jason

Jason, You must be part of the Boon alumni. There is no dispute from me that Boon is an extremely talented person. However, without experiencing to many other teachers in the same kind of setting as Boon provides your statement is short sited.

I was a student of Colins for 5 years and did his version of intensives. I also did private sessions with him. While his approach is a bit different, his sessions are as good as any of Boons.

Just my thoughts.



yenling,

For the type of money your talking about to invest you should be able to participate in a weekend group and do some one on one work with a particular artist be it Boon, Colin, or whoever. I found that doing a "private session" was most beneficial it accelerated my learning curve and intensified the experience.
 

greerhw

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Hire Marco to come to your house twice a year and still have a little left over to buy a tree. Spring and fall, but hide your women folks !

keep it green,
Harry
 
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