You could spend your whole life collecting bonsai and never find one as impressive as this. From Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai Seasonals. Here’s what Michael says about this photo… “Initial potting of a large Rocky Mountain Juniper, Winter 2010 Seasonal.” Just a little understated. If this is any indication, it’s worth noting that Michael has his students working on trees of this caliber (and caliper).
Study with one of the very best
My guess is that three days with Michael will be worth months or even years of fumbling about in your backyard in hopes that trial and error will see you through (speaking from painful experience and an embarrassing trail of damaged trees). Not that you shouldn’t fumble around a bit, that’s part of how we learn. But time with a genuinely accomplished bonsai artist and teacher can do wonders for your fumbling, and your bonsai.
Seasonals
“The Crataegus Bonsai Seasonal is designed for those who are not from the Portland area and who would be willing to travel to learn bonsai. This program is similar to how an apprentice learns in Japan: By working on our teacher’s trees, we study at a higher level. Now in its second year, the Seasonal was created out of requests of students from around the country who were interested in coming to Portland to study.” Continued here…
Ram Lukas rewiring a Western juniper during the Fall 2009 Seasonal.
About Michael Hagedorn
“Michael Hagedorn is a bonsai artist who spent 2 1/2 years apprenticing under Shinji Suzuki of Nagano, Japan. Michael’s art background ranges from painting and drawing to ceramic sculpture and installation.” Continued here…
Michael’s book
Post-Dated, The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk, is about Michael’s time studying in Japan with Shinji Suzuki. It’s a great read about bonsai and cultural craziness in a personal style that reveals Michael’s humanity and intelligence (with more than just a touch of folly). And, you guessed it, we just happen to sell it.