Kathy Shaner

Starting her career in bonsai in 1983, Kathy has become internationally known and recognized for her excellence in the art of bonsai. After studying under several of California's most respected bonsai instructors, she was granted the opportunity to study in Toyohashi, Japan. There she worked for Yasuo Mitsuya, highly regarded in Japan as a Master of Gendai (contemporary form) bonsai training.

Since that time, Kathy's career has taken off in many directions. She uses her knowledge and ability to find the "soul of the tree" (as Mr. Mitsuya puts it) to teach her students in a clear and understandable way. Her many bonsai activities include conducting seminars, full-day workshops, lecturing on-site and working on private collections. Students are taught the art and culture of bonsai using her creative specialized methods. Her critiques are a highly regarded part of the program and have set a standard for other instructors. Kathy also maintains and designs private collections throughout the United States.

Kathy is the curator of the Golden State Bonsai Collection-North at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. Display of this collection opened in the fall of 1999. She is also the resident bonsai master at the new El Dorado Bonsai School. The school sits among the trees on a beautiful 52-acre campus in Placerville, California and is the first bonsai school in the United States to feature Japanese accredited bonsai master instructors. The school opened in early 1999.