San Andreas, CA…Vince Owyoung of Stockton will lead a demonstration and workshop on shohin-size bonsai, following the Mother Lode Bonsai Club’s 10:00 a.m. meeting on Saturday, October 1. It will be held at the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. The public is invited to attend. One of Northern California’s highly respected bonsai enthusiasts, Owyoung has raised these miniature trees for over 50 years and led workshops at California Shohin Society’s seminars, as well as at various area clubs

According to Owyoung, bonsai are classified by size: small (miniature), medium and large. Shohin is a subcategory in the small class with each tree less than eight inches in height from the top of the pot and fitting easily in the palm of your hand. After starting his collection with larger specimens, Owyoung has adapted to the smaller varieties due to their manageability. “They are easier to move about and handle,” he said.

He also notes that their trunks and branching are as challenging as full-size bonsai. “With less area to handle and maneuver, it still requires everything to be in scale and proportion when creating the look of a large tree found in nature,” said Owyoung. “While the basic rules of bonsai aesthetics still apply, the styling, wiring and clipping of shohin have evolved in new directions. This forces you to think outside the box. I believe that this adds to the art.”

Workshop participants will be able to take home their cork oak or euonymus seiboldii trees after learning about basic styling for their future shohin. A $5. materials fee will charged for the workshop and is limited to 20 registrants. All are required to bring a table covering, scissors, wire cutters and pliers for use. For more information, contact Bob Dean at (209) 754-5887 or go online to www.motherlodebonsai.org.