by Craig Coussins

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Convention Listings

FEES: These costs are general. Please note that the more sessions will drastically reduce the per head cost in regard to the expenses. In a weekend of workshops and demos the expenses for me will come to $10 a head at 32 people for four workshops.

£250 For a standard three hour workshop of up to 8 people ($500Can. $450 USD, $700AUD, 700NZD, 350EUR.)

Three sessions-two workshops and a demo in the evening for example is £640 or around a 15% discount..$1275 Can, $1220USD 1800 AUD and 1800 NZD

Weekend workshops and demos , Friday night to Sunday night 4 workshops and 2 demos £1250 $2560 Can. $2375 USD, 1667 Euros

Travel at cost which is then divided between tour venues. In America this would work out to around $300-$400 per venue for 10 clubs which includes Transatlantic and internal flights.

In Australia this would work out to around $550Aud per club.-Minimum in all cases of 6 to 10 clubs.

Clicking on any image in the following pages will give you a more detailed larger view

I am headed up a week of workshops in Belgium during the latter part of July 2006. I like working in Belgium and have been there a number of times, heading conventions, working with clubs and enjoying the range of wonderful beers that Belgium is famous for.

The folk there know great Bonsai and are keen to learn. One of the best Bonsai nurseries in Europe is in Belgium, The Gingko Bonsai Nursery and the owners are good friends. I was joined this trip by Peter Kirkham who brought along some superb Yamadori for the workshop participants.

"NWEBE" A new event supported by the attendance of many clubs who had club displays at Lowther Pavilion, Lytham-St.Annes.

Craig, one of the countries leading active collectors of Suiseki with over two thousand in his present collection, also lectures in suiseki and stone appreciation in addition to his Bonsai Teaching all over the world. A unique Susieki collection from around the world with some fantastic Chinese Scholars Stones-Gongshi, Lingbi Stones from China, Scholars Stones, Monster and figure stones, Dragon stones, Susieki from the Eel River in California, Desert stones from the Mohave Desert and Utah high deserts, an amazing Four faced Gongshi from Singapore, , A stone Baby from the red deserts of Australia, Basalt suiseki from Scotland, Mountain and plateaus from England, Hut stones from Spain and some amazing Italian Suiseki. Most styles of stones were represented. Most of the American stones and some of the special stones have had Daizas carved by internationally renowned Daiza Carver, Sean Smith. A unique chance to have seen some of the finest and rarest Suiseki and Gongshi in the UK. Due to weight and transport difficulties it is unlikely that I will be repeating this display again.

Demos were by a number of people including Trevor Smith who has been studying with me. The trees that he worked on are shown here. Simon Temblett is a young Bonsai designer that has exceptional capability and two of his works are shown on the North Wales display. Dragon Bonsai Club from Cardiff and Wirral Club from Lancashire are also represented in this picture display.

Peter Moth is the person that is in charge of organising this great event in 2006.Telephone 01253 711642.

and this was what it looked like two years later. A perspective planting. The smaller group should look like its far away in the distance. 12 feet (3.5 metres) long

Another Cedar Group from raw material and after three hours work with a team of assistants.

A large Celtis Sinensis var Africana I created in South Africa for Rob Clausen, one of SA's leading Bonsai artists.

Just planted, a two metre long Ulmus group in a workshop and one year later.

The same owner brought in these Acers for me to plant up, and a year later they look very nice.

My first group was created with Peter Adams and a couple of friends, Jim McCurrach and Don Mac Neil, organiser of the very first Bonsai Convention in the UK back in 1982. The group was made in 1984 during the first UK Visit of John Yoshio Naka. I developed the group for a year before this photo. It is Juniper Squamata and is two metres tall.

This group of elms and Zelkovas on a three metre Long slab was created by me in 1992

I originally built this larch group from seedlings in 1987 and in 2003 it looks like this:
it is a metre long and a metre high (39")

Part of my collection in early 2004-though much is now being dispersed as I travel so much. Click for larger images

Workshops can be done with a new style of workshop I have created called the Rolling Workshop. What that means is that the day starts at say 8am with four workshop participants. At 10 four more start the workshop and the first four simply work on as they require but the teacher can now concentrate on developing the work for the next batch of students. At noon there is a 30 minute (or hour if they wish) break for the teacher and at 1pm the next four come in. At 3pm the last lot come on and whoever is still left from the previous groups can carry on or have their work appraised by the teacher at any time during the day. In essence you then get 16 people during the day and getting almost one to one instruction. If needs must, and more folk wish to participate in this feature, an extra two hour slot can be added on at 5pm until 7. The workshop leader can take breaks throughout of course as the student works on through their tree for as long as they wish or until both student and teacher are satisfied.

None of the dashing about 8 to 10 folk, spending more time with the less experienced and less with the more able. No. Just four and you get a much higher quality of teaching throughout. One important point is that if supplying their own material, the workshop participant works with one tree and not to bring 6 or 7 trees unless they form part of a group planting. Too many trees will spoil that kind of workshop. Otherwise they may not get enough out of this new way of learning. (However, if someone wishes me to work with them through their collection then I can arrange a one to one session lasting half a day, a full day or whatever they wish in a time period for me to be with them. That is not part of the Rolling Workshop though.)

My view is that as I travel all over the world on such a regular basis, so many people want to work with me and simply don't get the chance. At least I find this way meets their needs in a very professional way and allows that rare commodity, an almost one to one personal session. Well with four folk, that is almost that anyway.

Further to this new method of running a workshop, the organisers can divide the timed sessions into, carving, styles such as group planting, windswept etc, different levels of ability, refining, and raw material development. This is to allow , where possible, specific workshops in these various techniques which actually benefit both the participants and the workshop leader.

Australia and New Zealand 2003
Fantastic people, great Bonsai and very happy workshops and Demos throughout. See the testimonials page here: testimonials

N.Z. BONSAI CONFERENCE - 2003
Wonderful Convention and I had the pleasure of working with the outstanding Canadian Artist Reiner Goebel for the first (and I hope not the last) time.

Singapore.
I stopped off to visit with my friends in this haven for fabulous Bonsai, Pentsai and Penjing. I will be doing a special page on Singapore later on. You will be amazed at the quality of trees they grow. I took a great photo design series from a demo that I did with my friend Mr. Keow Wah Lim. This amazing Master teachers many people in Singapore and is very highly respected. He also has some of the finest antique pots in the world. Some of these are so rare that they are of the very top museum quality.

Pemphis Acidula- Lim KW

Wright. Religiosa- Jah Kim Chuan

Pemphis Acidula-Singapore Penjing Garden

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Mechelen Bonsai Club booked me for their Anniversary Convention. I have been many times to Belgium and was a main speaker alongside Salvatore Liporace, my close friend, at the European Bonsai Congress which was held in Bruges.

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All images and material copyright to the owners and to Craig Coussins 1975-2005. Use can be made with pleasure on application to Craig and with full citation to www.bonsaiinformation.com

Conventions and Demos	Craig's Suiseki
Testimonials from Organisations	Craig's Suiseki for sale
About Craig Coussins	Website building
Articles and Books	Travels with Craig
Craig's Landscapes	Antique Pots
Singing Bowls	Modern Pots
Native American Flutes-to come	Links to Bonsai Clubs and websites
Questions	Tools for Bonsai