Page 7 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q1

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marc Arpag is an American Bonsai Artist, long time student and friend of Wm. N.
Valavanis. He is a board member of the Bonsai Society of Upstate New York and co-founder of the Suiseki
Study Group of Upstate New York. His love of nature and art have also lead to his study of Japanese
garden design and was honored to create the Welcome Gardens for the U. S. National Bonsai Exhibitions.
Marc has won numerous awards including the Yuji Yoshimura Award, the BCI Award for Outstanding
Bonsai and the ABS Finest North American Bonsai Award at the 2nd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition for
his Eastern White Cedar Bonsai.

nternational Bonsai Master William
N. Valavanis has reached an amazing
half-century of bonsai passion and
dedication. Known around the
Iworld as “Bill” due to his down to
earth approach, unbounded good nature
and unequalled knowledge of all things
bonsai. Bill has made friends around the
globe from novice students to the most
recognized names in the art of bonsai.
These days the title “Bonsai Master” is
thrown around and even taken by people
that have no understanding of what a
true master is. A true master never gives
himself that title, it is one that is earned
and understood by those who have studied
in the same discipline and recognize it.
To truly appreciate his 50-year milestone,
we must look beyond a quick glance at a
staggering list of achievements. Bill’s “love
at first sight” turned into a life-long love af-
fair with bonsai. When his journey began,
he had an unquenchable thirst for all things
bonsai and anything related, as he still does
today. The Bill Valavanis of today is even a
more dedicated student than when he be-
gan 50 years ago. To understand his devo-
tion to study is to begin to understand this
great man. Imagine, a never-ending quest
for knowledge and insight that followed ev-
ery known source. Attending two colleges
and achieving degrees in ornamental hor-
ticulture was only the start to a life long dedication to studies of classical bonsai art. Bill studied with classical Korean hornbeam, Carpi-
bonsai royalty in Japan: Kyuzo Murata, Kakutaro Komuro and the Father of Saikei, Toshio Kawamoto. He also nus turczainowii, trained
studied the art of ikebana during those early years in Japan. In 1969, he began his study with Yuji Yoshimura from a tree collected in the
for 30 years in America. Yuji’s father was a cofounder of the Nippon Bonsai Society and a renowned author- mountains of Korea since the
early 1990s. Beginning with
ity on bonsai, display and suiseki. Young Bill Valavanis drew from the hearts and minds of these great men. a heavy trunk and a couple
From an early age Bill not only had an unquenchable thirst for bonsai and learning as much as he could, he also of branches, fine twigs have
wanted to share what he was learning with others. It is a mark of all great teachers that they never stop learning been lovingly developed
through the decades.
and love to share their passion and inspire others. Bill has always promoted bonsai and not himself. Like his
teacher Yuji Yoshimura, Bill has devoted his life to teaching and sharing bonsai. Looking at all his bonsai
pursuits, we find a common thread of education running through all of them. It is clear that this is deeply
woven part of his fabric. Both in his studies and in his teaching Bill has literally covered the globe many times
over. Twice a year he travels to Japan and has attended the Kokufu-ten over 30 times! These are always extended
study sessions for multiple full days of the same exhibition. Year after year, he also returns to study bonsai in
the greatest collections around the world and always shares with his students and magazine subscribers. It is
sometimes easy to forget where things come from and where credit is due. The brand “International Bonsai”

January/February/March 2014 | BCI | 5