The Bonsai Society of Portland will host 2012 Convention

Plan to attend the 2012 Pacific Northwest Bonsai Clubs Association Conference September 14-16, 2012 at the Hilton in Vancouver, Washington

"Imagine & Create" is the the theme. It is an invitation to expand your vision and dexterity. Whether a beginner or seasoned bonsai artist, you’ll find many activities to engage your imagination and hone your skills. Learn to see a tree’s possibilities from internationally recognized bonsai masters, improve your techniques and turn your vision into reality. Join us for the most important bonsai event in the Pacific Northwest!

Featured artists include: Marco Invernizzi from Italy and Peter Warren from the UK. We also went to California for the renowned Ted Matson, and are introducing our own Scott Elser, two-time winner of the Most Outstanding Conifer at the US National Bonsai Show. Additional artists include Dave DeGroot, Jim Gremel, Michael Hadedorn and Joe Harris III. Read more.

April Meeting: Annual Shohin Kai Display Plus Bonsai Presentation Techniques by Scott Elser

Oregon Shohin Kai will present an intimate one night showing of their best trees on Tuesday, April 24. This is the third year the group has exhibited their 10” or less bonsai. Shohin are measured from the rim of the pot to the top of the tree. Measurement is an imprecise art. The trees, however are extremely refined versions of their equivalents in nature. This will be an amazing display of our members’ work and well worth the effort to attend.

Portland Japanese Garden, site of annual bonsai exhibit (Photo: Allan Bruce Lee)Also on this month’s agenda is our resident bonsai master, Scott Elser. Mr. Elser is a two-time National Bonsai Exhibit winner. He will share his insights on formal bonsai display. This presentation will help members prepare their trees for our annual bonsai show at the Portland Japanese Garden on May 21 and 22. Scott has managed this show for many years. It is our most attended function annually and also the most elegant setting to display our art. Scott has also helped prepare trees for the annual Bay Island Bonsai's show in California.

Guests are welcome to attend our monthly meetings.

Heritage Group assures future for bonsai

Bonsai can live far longer than their owners, sometimes for hundreds of years. The goal of the Heritage Group is to assure that bonsai are passed along to others when their owners are no longer able to care for them.

Bob Laws, HG chairman, has announced an ambitious goal for 2011 to secure agreements with at least 40% of the Bonsai Society of Portland membership. The agreement helps bonsai owners determine how their tees will be transferred to other collectors.

“We started this group just this year and so far have had four requests for our services; with an auction of eighty four bonsai items coming up at our next meeting.” said Laws. “This is a service that provides peace of mind in case of illness or worse. And, it transfers quality bonsai into the capable hands of another generation who will maintain them as long as they can.”

This service is available to non-members as well. See the Heritage Group Guidelines and Agreement listed under Services for details.

Welcome to your BSOP website!

With the launch of our new web site, we also introduce a number of new features. In addition to a wealth of information on bonsai and resources within the greater Portland area, this new site  also includes a section for members. If you are a current member of BSOP and have not received your login and password, request them now.