Jennifer volunteers and takes classes at Hidden Garden Bonsai, Willowbrook, Illinois. In addition,she has been studying with Jim Doyle and Walter Pall for several years, visiting and working at both Nature’s Way and with Walter on his private collection in Germany.
An avid and brave student of bonsai, Jen also has been assisting both of her mentors at bonsai exhibition demonstrations. Jen said that she has a personal interest in advocating for more women in bonsai. She feels that all too often the “helpfulness” of male bonsai masters and enthusiasts — stepping in to wire, prune and even doing the heavy lifting impedes females’ learning. With that in mind, for her demonstration on an Engelmann spruce, Jen asked Jim Doyle to take the back seat as her assistant.
Movement is important in the tree. With movement as a key, Jen selected the viewing side, keeping in mind that depth is important, too. The tree had 2 small snags and 2 live trunks. In an interesting move, Jen decided to make the shorter of the two live trunks a snag as well. With just a small amount of wiring the result was excellent – expressive and very natural. Jen’s recommendation to anyone who wants to study bonsai: “Take a lot of classes!”
Thanks for reading 🙂
Susquehanna Bonsai Club 