The fourth Bonsai Open will be hosted by Central Coast Bonsai on Saturday 6 April (9am-5pm) and Sunday 7 April (10am-4pm) 2024 at Mingara. Growing bonsai is a delightful hobby that involves horticultural knowledge, an artistic bent and a good deal of patience. If you have a passion for these tiny trees that capture the essence of their larger counterparts growing wild in nature, then this is a day not to be missed. Entry is $7 for adults and children are free.
Read below for more information from Central Coast Bonsai Club regarding the event:
CENTRAL COAST BONSAI CLUB
The Central Coast Bonsai Club was formed in 1977 with a handful of members and now has approximately 80 members. The Central Coast Bonsai Club is dedicated to promoting the art and appreciation of bonsai through education, participation and sharing the enjoyment of this ancient art form. Monthly meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month (except January) from 7.00pm until 9.30pm in the “Tasman Function Room” at Mingara Recreation Club. These meetings typically involve a guest speaker/demonstrator describing a different aspect of bonsai and working on a tree. Community members are welcome to come and enjoy your first meetings without needing to be a member. We welcome people at all skill levels – be they absolute beginners through to advanced -and welcome all ages. We run 6 weeks bonsai courses at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels and have Demonstration and Workshop days on a weekend. Last year’s calendar included demonstrators such as Hugh Grant, Andrew Edge, Clinton Nesci, Alan Harding and Ashley Brown,
PHILOSOPHY OF BONSAI OPEN
Bonsai is growing in popularity in Australia and around the world. Overseas have large bonsai exhibitions such as Kokofu-Ten in Japan, the European Bonsai San show and the US National Bonsai Exhibition and these exhibitions are competitive and prestigious and raise the standard of bonsai and the appreciation of bonsai. The Bonsai Open is the first major bonsai event in Australia with substantial prize money, a total of $5,000 in prize money and is open to all Australian residents. The Central Coast Bonsai Club aim to bring together bonsai clubs and bonsai professional from around Australia through the Bonsai Open, and with a prize for the best Australian native bonsai tree we are seeking to promote bonsai that is uniquely Australian. In 2024, we are introducing a prize for SHOHIN bonsai. These are bonsai not more than 20 cm in height from the rim of the pot.
ENCOURAGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF BONSAI ARTISTS
Bonsai is an art where starting early in life is a distinct advantage. Children under 15 have free admission to encourage families to visit and have young people captured by the beauty of bonsai. Central Coast Bonsai Club also run classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels and it is encouraging to find some young people attending these classes and developing a love of bonsai.
BONSAI OPEN – ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER BONSAI EXHIBITIONS
This is held by the Central Coast Bonsai Club which a community group with approximately 80 members. It is a major event to organise for small sub-committee of volunteers. It initially was conceived on the belief that Australia should have a major bonsai competition open to all Australian bonsai artists to promote and elevate bonsai as a hobby and as a profession. Our sponsors have been essential to the success of the Bonsai Open. Our sponsors include Ray Nesci Bonsai Nursery, Bendigo Bank and Mingara Recreation Club. The Bonsai Open is held in conjunction with the Central Coast Bonsai Club Annual Exhibition so we have approximately 140 trees on display. Last year entries can from across NSW and the ACT and we had interest from Victoria and Queensland artist this year.
As well as the exhibition of exceptional trees, visitor to the Bonsai Open can watch demonstrations by some of Australia’s top bonsai artists including Scott Martin, Hugh Grant, Andrew Edge and Alan Harding will be demonstrating the art of growing Penjing. There is a large sales area where you can buy almost everything related to bonsai, including tools, potting substrates, mature trees, starters and handmade pots. The Club also has a sales area of members trees and there are some real bargains to be found here. We usually have a long queue at 9am on the Saturday morning waiting to charge in and buy a preloved bonsai. The Bonsai Open is held in the Mingara Recreation Club and this year we are utilising the lower floor encompassing over 1,500m2. In addition to the Bonsai Open event, Mingara is very large, offering 3 significant restaurant / cafes with great parking and easy access. So it is easy to settle in for the whole day, enjoy a morning demonstration, wander through the bonsai stalls, have a meal and then enjoy the afternoon demonstration and / or enjoy the bonsai exhibition.
BONSAI STALLS
- Ray Nesci Bonsai Nursery will have a wonderful array of all things bonsai
- Hugh Grant will have a stall with bonsai related materials including trees and pots that meet his design ethos
- Denise Allen will have a diverse range of handmade pots for sale including many of her unique and highly sought stoneware pots which have been high fired in a reduction kiln
- Andrew Edge will have a stall with bonsai related materials including trees and pots and potting substrates
- Central Coast Bonsai Club members will be selling a range of bonsai trees ranging from beginner stock to very mature specimens
DEMONSTRATORS
Scott Martin
Scott Martin developed a fascination with bonsai during Primary School and the passion really took off in 1989 when he visited a local show. He pursued formal training in Japan in 2012 at Aichi-en in Nagoya, then to Kouka-en in Osaka with Bjorn Bjorholm in 2013 and returned to Aichi-en in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to round out his training. In 2015, Scott started ‘Bonsai Matsu’ a training school in Melbourne with a wide range of courses and workshops for enthusiasts to nurture and develop their bonsai skill set. Scott is involved in bonsai with people all over the world and produces a regular podcast called ‘Bonsai Stuff’.
Working with a wide range of species, Scott has a solid understanding of pines as well as exotic and native species and is enthusiastic to share as much of his experience as possible. Whether a bonsai is in development or refinement, Scott takes great pride in helping to take bonsai to the next level.
Andrew Edge
Andrew is the owner of Edge Bonsai Studio and has been a student of bonsai since receiving a bonsai as a Christmas present in 1995. Passionate about Japanese bonsai, Andrew has travelled numerous times to Japan, Vietnam, and the USA in pursuit of further knowledge. Traditional Japanese techniques and design, combined with modern horticultural knowledge, allow Andrew to push the boundaries both artistically and horticulturally in what is a lifelong search for new and exciting ways to express bonsai as an artistic medium. This is a unique opportunity to learn from an experienced, recognised and acknowledged bonsai artist.
Hugh Grant
Hugh explores Bonsai from the perspective of natural sculptural form and natural ecological references. Having studied with numerous mentors over 15 years, Hugh undertook an internship with Ryan Neil in 2016 exploring the technical & theoretical applications of Bonsai from a western perspective. Hugh has a Bachelor of Fine arts majoring in Sculptural studies and photography.
Hugh’s business “Tree Makers” is a creative studio, nursery and school developing theories and practices for Australian trees. Recognised as one of Australia’s leading bonsai artists, Hugh frequently visits Australian clubs and organisations to share his knowledge and skill. Hugh’s skills are excellent with most species and genres of trees, of course favouring Australian native flora.
Allan Harding
Allan began learning Bonsai some 20 years ago. In recent years his interest has shifted and intensified upon Chinese Penjing. He undertook weekly classes for three years studying Penjing and reaching advanced level. Those studies have continued and have included regular study tours to China. In 2015, he won first prize at the inaugural Penjing Competition conducted by the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Allan has conducted Penjing Workshops within the Chinese Garden and was employed for a number of years to maintain the Chinese Garden of Friendship’s historic Penjing Collection. He continues to encourage and promote learning about Chinese Penjing through the Penjing Australia Facebook Group that has over 5000 members in more than a hundred countries. Allan’s extensive personal collection of Penjing is unique and ‘screams’ its Chinese influence – conveying artistic conception, expressing the mood, working from nature. His works pay attention to the changes of lines and the mystery of inner temperament and charm. This will not be the ‘usual’ bonsai demonstration but a rare opportunity to learn about Chinese Penjing, to discover more possibilities, and to experience its unique appeal.