Randy Clark
4416 Beatties Ford Road
Charlotte, NC 28216
704-392-9244
randybonsai@carolina.rr.com
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Randy Clark, 65, has been learning the art bonsai for more than a quarter century and for the past two decades, has traveled throughout the United States and Europe teaching the subject. He strongly encourages his students to develop an individual approach to the art .
"One must have more than a simple classical understanding of the principals of bonsai design if one wishes to grow and develop in the art. It is certainly important to honor our Japanese teachers by understanding the time tested principals upon which classical bonsai design is based,... but it is even more important that each student strives to bring new insights into what they do," he said. "One must learn and understand when to apply the rules as well as when to bend them. Bonsai is an art... and all art forms, by definition, are interpretive."
During his thirty plus years of involvement with bonsai, Mr. Clark has spent seven of them serving as a vice president of the National Bonsai Foundation in Washington D.C. as well as two terms as president of the Minnesota Bonsai Society and as Chairman of the 1987 International Bonsai Conference which was held in Minnesota. He also served two years as the managing editor of Bonsai Magazine, the official publication of Bonsai Clubs International and is the author of Outstanding American Bonsai, a book, published by Timber Press in Portland, Oregon. His bonsai have won numerous first place and best in show awards at both the local and regional level.
For nine years he operated White Dragon Bonsai Studio out of his former home in Minnesota. In 1995 he relocated to North Carolina and now operates The Bonsai Learning Center in Charlotte, NC where he offers a wide variety of educational programs and workshops for bonsai students from rank beginners to practiced veterans. He has studied with such well know national and international bonsai authorities as: John Naka, Toshio Saburomaru, Chase Rosade, Keith B. Scott, Susumu Nakamura, Horst Krekeler, Mas Imazumi, Hu Yun Hua, Qing Quan Zhao, Marion Gyllenswan, Vaughn Banting, and many others.
Mr. Clark has appeared as a guest demonstrator or workshop leader before the following clubs and organizations:
1999 Danish National Bonsai Congress
Denmark
1998 Greenwood Gardens Bonsai Retreat
United Kingdom
1995 European Bonsai Federation Convention
Monaco
1995 Bonsai Clubs Deutschland Convention
Williamshaven, Germany
1986 International Bonsai Congress
Washington, D.C.
1987 International Bonsai Congress
Minneapolis, MN
1994 American Bonsai Society Symposium
Pittsburgh, PA
Mid Atlantic Bonsai Symposium
1989 Philadelphia, PA
1994 Harrisburg, PA
1993 Mid America Bonsai Congress
Des Moines, IA
1995 Lone Star Bonsai Federation (TX)
Susquehanna Bonsai Society (PA)
Memphis (TN) Bonsai Society
Minnesota Bonsai Society
Lehigh Valley Bonsai Society (PA)
Great Swamp (NJ) Bonsai Society
Iowa Bonsai Association
Prairie State Bonsai Society (IL)
Springfield (Illinois) Bonsai Society
Roanoke (Virginia) Bonsai Society
Triangle Bonsai Society (NC)
Winnipeg (Canada) Bonsai Society
Bergen (NJ) Bonsai Society
Bonsai Society of Greater New York
Pennsylvania Bonsai Society
Brandywine Bonsai Society (PA)
Columbia (SC) Bonsai Club
Bonsai Society of the Carolinas (NC)
University of North Carolina Arboretum
Science Museum of Minnesota
Minnesota State Horticultural Society
Stowe Botanical Gardens
Cincinnati Bonsai Society
Columbus (OH) Bonsai Society
Booking Fees & Requirements/Suggested Program Topics
We will attempt to tailor our programs and workshops to fit the particular needs and requirements of your club or group. Generally speaking we charge $325 per work session and require at least one work session per day. A work session may be any activity of your choice (we don't do windows) and generally lasts about 3 to 4 hours. Two work sessions per day is usual and some clubs have even scheduled three in one day.
Workshops
You may schedule as many people in a workshop as you wish. However, we strongly recommend you limit workshop participation to no more than 8 or 10 people per workshop. This is done for your benefit and not the instructors. Ten students in a 3 hour workshop means that each students will only have 18 minutes average time with the teacher. We want to provide the best possible learning experience for your participants, but it is possible to spread an instructors time too thin. It also helps if all students participating in a workshop are provided with the proper tools.
Demonstrations
You should plan on providing all workshop materials (unless other arrangements have been made with us) and insure that soils, containers, wire, spray cans, turntable, clean up equipment and all necessary supplies are provided. If it is a large group, you may want to provide a microphone. A chalk board or drawing pad is also a welcome addition. We have no objections to the filming or video taping of a lecture/demo so long as it is not going to be used for commercial purposes.
Suggested Programs
As we said before, we can adapt our programs to suit the needs of your group. Here are some suggestions you may wish to consider:
Programs On A Specific Species
An indepth program about one specific type of plant material. In the past we have done programs on scots, black and 5-needle pine; junipers, atlas cedars, chinese elm, trident maple, japanese maple, ficus.
Programs On A Specific Style
We can talk about any of the traditional Japanese styles and also discuss what we consider an "American" approach to the art. We are particularly fond of literati or bunjin, multiple trunk, forest groupings, windswept, saikei, rock plantings and penjing.
Tree Critiques
Members bring trees to be critiqued by the instructor. This can be an extremely useful and fun program. The audience should be encouraged to bring their good trees and their problem children as well. It is a good way to make people understand the tremendous diversity in bonsai design which is possible.
Auctioneering Services
Somewhere, someone got the idea that I make a better than average auctioneer. I will be happy to provide these services to your group for a fee of $150 or 10% of the gross... your choice.
Private Instructionorked out with the sponsoring agency.
Additional Fees & Charges
Apart from the instructor's fee mentioned above, the sponsoring group must also assume the cost of all air travel, meals and lodging. Travel by car is to be reimbursed at .65 per mile, round trip. We prefer that you obtain demonstration and workshop material which is native to your region, however, we can bring demonstration material if you let us know well enough in advance.
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