NABF Newsletter #1

Feature #1

Some Members of the NABF Editorial Team

Jerry Meislik (Northwest Regional Editor)

Jerry has been actively involved with bonsai over the past twenty six years. During that time he has been most actively interested in tropical/indoor bonsai as well as native plant material of the USA suitable for bonsai.

While living in Michigan Jerry held many positions at the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society. He is currently Vice President of the Big Sky Bonsai Society in Montana.

His past positions have included board member of the American Bonsai Society, Chair of the American Bonsai Society Editorial Board, and Board member of the National Bonsai Foundation.

Currently, Jerry is teaching courses in bonsai at Flathead Valley Community College. He is actively traveling around the country teaching and lecturing about bonsai as well as writing articles for bonsai journals. Within the past two years he has had articles published in the Bonsai Enthusiast Journal, Journal of the American Bonsai Society, International Bonsai, and the BCI magazine.

Alan Walker (NABF Assistant Editor)

Alan is currently BCI’s President. He has served on the BCI board since 1993. In bonsai since 1972, he is a Lifetime Member of both BCI and ABS. He was an officer of the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society from 1976 until 1983. In 1989 he co founded the Lake Charles Bonsai Society and began publishing its monthly newsletter, BONSAI NEWS, which is exchanged with dozens of sister clubs throughout the world. In 2002 he led efforts to found the Louisiana Alliance of Bonsai Societies (LABS).

Alan is a 53 year old clinical social worker in private practice and living in Lake Charles, LA. His wife, Kathy, is an obstetrician/gynecologist. In 1993 he was King of his Mardi Gras krewe. In addition to bonsai, he has an active interest in photography and historic preservation. He is a past president of the Louisiana Society for Clinical Social Work and served on the LA State Board of Social Work Examiners for six years.

David Rowe (Canadian Regional Editor)

Professional Experience SPAR Aerospace Limited (RET.).
[POSITION HELD]. SENIOR TECHNOLOGIST. PROTOTYPE ENGINEERING - Education: - London University College of Art—Technical Publications (Hon.) -Technical apprenticeship, Aerospace Engineering. David ran the publications dept. for fifteen years at Spar Aerospace, Toronto Canada

David has been creating bonsai for 26 years, and was a member of the Toronto Bonsai Society for twenty three. He has served on the executive committee for all but three of those years. The position of editor he held for six years, show chairman six years, vice president for two, and president for one. He has given workshops and demonstrations at the Japanese Cultural Center, in Toronto. Locally David has provided workshops and demonstrations at many of the area bonsai clubs. David was one of the headliners at the 1997 BCI convention in Toronto. At this convention David received the Chase Rosade award for design.

David has provided demonstrations and workshops across the country, in Rochester, New York, Spokane, WA., The Puget Sound Bonsai Club, The Vancouver Federation of Bonsai Clubs, The Vancouver Island Bonsai Club in Victoria and, since moving to the Island three years ago, He has started a local club where he lives in Columbia beach, British Columbia. In September 2000, he was one of the three headliners at the Pacific Rim Bonsai Convention, held in Victoria, B.C. Since the fall of 2000, he has been the Editor of the ABS Bonsai journal.

In 2000 and 2001, a photo of one of David's trees was judged to be in the top 100, of the “Japan Airlines World Bonsai Contest.”

Mary Bloomer (South-Central Regional Editor)

Mary began her bonsai career just in time for the 1976 BCI Convention in Washington, D.C. She joined the Potomac Bonsai Association, served on its board and as president before meeting and marrying Peter Bloomer of Flagstaff, AZ. Mary was elected to the board of directors of Bonsai Clubs International and became president in 1996-1998. She also served on the American Bonsai Society board and was co-chair of the ABS 1981 convention. Recently retired, the Bloomers travel, work on their bonsai, and have also become involved in the art of suiseki.

Jack Douthitt (North-Central Regional Editor)

Jack has been an Architect for more than forty years and a bonsai enthusiast for over thirty years. He is a member of several bonsai clubs throughout the Midwest and a lifetime member of Bonsai Clubs International and the American Bonsai Society.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of Bonsai Clubs International for ten years and served as President from 1994 to 1996. Jack also was a founder of the Badger Bonsai Society in Madison, Wisconsin and of the Mid- America Bonsai Alliance, which is an organization of regional bonsai clubs. He has been a judge of the bonsai exhibits at the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Fairs.

Jack's bonsai have won "Best of Show" at the Mid-America Bonsai Exhibit three times and "Best of Show" at the Wisconsin State Fair two times. In addition, they have won many Blue Ribbons and Awards of Merit. His bonsai have also been featured on the cover of six magazines. His bonsai also have been selected to be included in both the National Arboretum Collection of American Bonsai in Washington, D.C., and the Weyerhaeuser Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection in Tacoma, WA. Jack recently had the honor of having one of his bonsai selected as "One of the Top One Hundred" in the Japan Airlines World Bonsai Contest 2000.

Jack is the author of "Bonsai:The Art of Living Sculpture," published by the Rizzoli International Publishing Company in the spring of 2001. He also wrote the forward to the Colin Lewis book Bonsai Survival Manual (published 1996). In 1987 he was recognized as "One of Americas Outstanding Bonsai Artists" by the National Bonsai Foundation.

Joe B. Day (Southeast Regional Assistant Editor)

From Mobile, Alabama, Joe began his bonsai interest in 1979 and became a founding member of that city's bonsai society, The Azalea City Bonsai Society, in 1981. He has served as an officer every year since.

Joe has been the author and publisher of the ACBS newsletter for the past 17 years. Joe created and taught three courses in bonsai at the University of South Alabama continuing education programs, and has been featured on radio, television and newspaper articles in the Mobile area.

Bonsai articles by and about Joe have been featured in the ABS and BCI journals. Joe has lectured and taught workshops at most of the bonsai clubs in the Deep South. Joe has a large collection of bonsai. He grows bonsai stock and collects native material. Joe also carves natural stone slabs for forest groups and single trees.

Carl N. Morimoto (Southwest Regional Editor)

Though he considers himself a "newcomer" to bonsai, Carl's knowledge is always growing. His command of the Japanese language enables him to seek out as much as he can about bonsai and bonsai-related topics (suiseki, stamps), including intellectual aspects from philosophy to design to appreciation. He has been editor of Golden Statement (GS), the bimonthly publication of the Golden State Bonsai Federation, for the last 3 years and has become more focused on bonsai than the previous 8 years when he was primarily helping his wife Helen with her bonsai. Carl became more involved in bonsai about 5 years ago when he took his first trip with Harry Hirao to dig for California juniper, captivated with its expression of severity and aged elegance in nature. He continues his education with various workshops that are led by Kathy Shaner, Harry Hirao and visiting Japanese masters.

Chris Cochrane (NABF Assistant Editor)

Chris studied Eastern religions in undergraduate school in the early 1970’s. Later, he visited many countries in Asia. Much later (1990), he learned of the Western bonsai community through his local club Richmond Bonsai Society. Through Richmond Bonsai Society and Potomac Bonsai Association, Chris found individuals who were diverse, generous, and occasionally argumentative. They were unusually enthusiastic. Chris saw in bonsai friendship a model for enriching his life. The Internet Bonsai Club and participation in distant bonsai events led him to recognize that friendship through bonsai runs deep, even when correspondence is infrequent.

Through club and association offices, Chris has had opportunities to expand friendships, chair symposia & contribute to US National Bonsai and Penjing Museum efforts. He has interest in art history themes related to bonsai, and occasionally he provides lecture demonstrations to audiences interested in Asian art and culture.

Among his friends are enthusiasts of bonsai & related arts that circle the globe. Far flung friends as well as friends within driving distance with increasing frequency collect viewing stones with Chris. On a river where nature is easily appreciated, he finds joy in sharing.

William N. Valavanis (Northeast Regional Editor)

Bill became interested in bonsai and horticulture at age 11 and pursued his interest by studying Ornamental Horticulture at SUNY Farmingdale and Cornell University. He has made over 40 trips to Japan and formally apprenticed with Kyuzo Murata and Kakutaro Komuro in Omiya Bonsai Village in Japan. Additionally a 30-year study and association with Yuji Yoshimura combined with his formal horticultural degrees, apprenticeships in Japan and his artistic talent provide Bill with the solid background to promote and teach Classical bonsai art around the world.

He is the proprietor of the International Bonsai Arboretum in Rochester, New York where he maintains a fine personal collection of Classical bonsai. He offers introductory and advanced classes as well as seminars and symposia in Rochester, New York. He also maintains a busy teaching schedule for bonsai and horticultural organizations worldwide. In order to further promote the artistic and horticultural expression of Classical bonsai art around the world he began publishing International BONSAI magazine 25 years ago. He has authored two books and many articles published in English, Japanese and other European languages.

Bill is an active member and officer of numerous local, national and international bonsai and horticultural organizations. His distinctive bonsai and displays have received many awards both in the United States and abroad.

He freely shares his 40 years of dedicated bonsai study, experiences and discoveries with students and serious bonsai fanciers through International BONSAI and his educational bonsai programs.

John Biel (Assistant Canadian Editor)

John started bonsai about 23 years ago with Bill Valavanis of Rochester, New York. John, a retired Program Analyst, is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he maintains his diverse bonsai collection consisting of both collected and nursery stock bonsai.

His bonsai have appeared in many professional bonsai magazines as well as books. Most recently, they have been selected every year in the top 100 in the JAL and World Bonsai contests. His sinuous larch bonsai was accepted by the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection.

He is past President of the Toronto Bonsai Society (two terms) and serves on the editorial board of International BONSAI magazine. He was also Program Chairman for IBC '97. John has authored many articles for premier bonsai magazines and has also presented programs and workshops in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.