Bjorn intensive course

[thecarlos808]

Hi just wanted to see if anyone has attended and completed Bjorn intensive course ? I am looking into the program to enhance my skills and wanted to get insight from others on the program? Thank you

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I haven't attended one, but I am a regular member of the Nashville Bonsai Society and several of our club and board members have participated in Bjorn's courses, workshops, and intensives. Everyone has spoken highly of both Bjorn and his teaching methods and the trees that I have seen worked on with Bjorn at these intensives all look better and better every year. Hopefully someone in the forum has more hands on experience at Eisei-en than I personally have and can answer your specific questions, but everyone I've spoken with anecdotally who has participated in an intensive there has found it worth the money and time.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Hi just wanted to see if anyone has attended and completed Bjorn intensive course ?

@PeaceLoveBonsai recently blogged about it:

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Being a Student at Eisei-en, But Were Afraid To Ask

I'm always asked what it's like to take classes with Bjorn. Here's all your questions answered!

www.peacelovebonsai.com

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I have worked with Bjorn since 2013 and highly recommend it. He is a great balance of being highly professional and still fun. He’s among the best in the world and freely shares his knowledge with his students. How could you go wrong if you want to really get good?

His intensive courses are not stratified by skill level, so beginners will get more from the classroom portions, but the hands-on portions are “all you can eat”. Eisei-en’s garden is growing all the time, and you can work on its world-class trees, or bring your own. His apprentice is polite and helpful and adds a touch of service that I appreciated as we were loading my car in the rain last November!

Recently, Bjorn shifted his course schedule to 4 days, 3 times a year (I think? I kinda jump in and out as my schedule and his allows). The intent was to cut down on travel time and costs for the students. Not sure if we have had a “graduating class” yet. I’m relegating myself to a career student.

 

[Wood]

I'm attending my first intensive session with Bjorn on January 15th after some advice from @Brian Van Fleet. Very excited and will report back afterwards. I'm going to work on his trees as mine are very immature.

His current schedule is 4-day workshops, twice a year, for three years. My schedule this year is mid-January and late June. I'm assuming that the timing of these will rotate by a couple months

 

[thecarlos808]

I'm attending my first intensive session with Bjorn on January 15th after some advice from @Brian Van Fleet. Very excited and will report back afterwards. I'm going to work on his trees as mine are very immature.

His current schedule is 4-day workshops, twice a year, for three years. My schedule this year is mid-January and late June. I'm assuming that the timing of these will rotate by a couple months

That is awesome! I am slotted to attend his 20-23rd of January for my first one. I know it will be probably one of the best decisions in my bonsai passion but it never hurts to ask or start a thread on the opinions and or progress of others. I haven't thought about bringing in one of my prebonsai mostly because I am flying but could drive if I wanted to "8 hour drive" I am also excited I will report back with my experience as well thank you!

 

[Wood]

Got back late last night after a 14 hour drive that included a blown out tire and the rental van missing the spare tire inflator. Still an awesome weekend at Eisei-en. My biggest takeaways

• It is very cold in the workshop, and you need to come prepared for it. I was a little underprepared but made it through alright. The workshop is an unheated garage and Bjorn and Cameron run a single propane heater. It takes a long time to get warm, and there will be a couple of ~1.5 hour lectures/discussions in the morning, when it's coldest. I was constantly wearing long underwear underneath jeans with wool socks and sneakers, and I felt underdressed in the mornings
• There is a fridge but no microwave, so hot lunches must come from nearby restaurants
• Be prepared to spend money on new trees. Most people purchased several trees/pre-bonsai and worked on them over the weekend, and Bjorn has really high quality material. There isn't a huge selection right now, but it's still good stuff. He's promised to have more material when we return in June
• If you're driving, leave space in your car for bringing trees home. You can also leave your trees there for a small monthly fee. Bjorn and Cameron (his apprentice) will take care of watering, basic pruning, and general maintenance (e.g. removing wires on deciduous material before it bites in). I'm probably sharing a U-haul trailer with three other people on the next trip just so we have more room
• Working on Bjorn's refined/late development trees are part of why the class is valuable. Working purely on pre-bonsai stock is probably not the best use of your time, but that's for you to decide.
• Get to know the people in your group because it'll be the same people for each return trip to Eisei-en
• Get to Eisei-en before the class starts and study his refined trees. If you've got extra work that doesn't need direction from Bjorn (detail wiring, cleaning out a tree, etc), maybe ask about staying in the workshop after class is over
• There are a handful of other nurseries in the area to check out as well. Kusa Farms, Music City Bonsai, and Owen Reich are nearby

 

[Wood]

Photo dump 1

 

[Wood]

Photo dump 2

 

[Wood]

Three of four trees I worked on this weekend

A clump JM that Bjorn started 19 years ago in a Bill Valavanis workshop. Before and after a silhouette refinement and detail wiring:



Hinoki cypress 'Well's Select' that I purchased and styled. I'm leaving it at Eisei-en for the duration of my intensive. Before and after the initial styling. Bjorn and me for perspective. I'll start a progression thread on this tree soon



Mame Itoigawa I did in ten minutes during lunch

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Great pix, hope you got a lot from the intensive. I always enjoy my time there.

 

[Wood]

I definitely did. Eagerly awaiting going back in June. Also, thanks for the advice on taking intensives. It convinced me to commit to this and I'm glad I did

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

@PeaceLoveBonsai recently blogged about it:

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Being a Student at Eisei-en, But Were Afraid To Ask

I'm always asked what it's like to take classes with Bjorn. Here's all your questions answered!

www.peacelovebonsai.com

I love Bjorns classes. Well worth the time & $$. Nice updates @Wood

 

[Wood]

Last weekend was my group's second session. Didn't get as many photos of the garden because it was so blisteringly hot. Several of my trees got sunburn from the weekend despite staying very well watered





Very nice upright Hinoki Cypress I got a photo of:

 

[Wood]

Some quick photos of the trees I worked on. The majority of these trees were small tweaks that and initial work. Most of my collection is very young, and I brought the majority of these trees from home to work on

Cutback and thinning on a Jaquelline Hillier Elm. Going to start pruning for ramification this summer


My European Beech got a ground layer and a small branch pruning. The red pipe cleaner is a planned out airlayer after it gets separated from the ground layer:


Trident maple forest that got pruned back and some apex thinning. Before shot is while prepping for a club show:


Initial styling on a Reis Dwarf Hinoki Cypress that I picked up from Kusa Farms on the drive down to Nashville:

 

[Wood]

Two shohin Hinoki Cypress. The first got some minor pinching. The second actually didn't get any work because it's still too thin



A small Chinese quince that I styled up. This one is going to be learning and practicing for the nice Chinese quince I bought


My upright Hinoki Cypress that lives down at Eisei-en until I buy a house a lot longer. Full deets here

 

[Wood]

A type of pear tree that I lightly pruned and wired with another student. Probably 3-4' across


Initial styling of a seedling of an Acer palmatum 'Ryusen'. Going for a bunjingi look to this one, so it really only took about 20 minutes of work


The really nice Chinese quince that I purchased. About two feet tall, and by far the nicest tree in my collection

https://imgur.com/kAUp8ft

Had a great weekend and motivated to bring my other trees to the next level. Next session is going to be repotting in March!

 

[Deleted member 32750]

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I think i see my tree on the benches in this photo!

I’m starting the intensive courses in December of this year I’m incredibly exited for it.

 

[desu]

I have been trying to find out the schedule so that I can start the intensives but havent had any luck getting ahold of anyone. If anyone can help I would really appreciate it!