Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/01/2026
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location
San Andreas Central Library
Categories
Albert (Al) Judnich is a highly-recognized commercial bonsai artist, who has also been a professional gardener/contractor for over 60 years. He ventured into this form of living art in the 1960s when he first met bonsai master Ken Iwatoki Sugimoto in Palo Alto and has literally created thousands of bonsai since. Judnich will present a team demonstration on creating juniper bonsai with his wife, Anna at the Mother Lode Bonsai Club meeting on Saturday, August 1. The free public demo will be at the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas.
“There is no rigid rule in designing bonsai but you need to discover what each tree is telling you about its ‘specialness’ and movement. Wiring is used to give it character and refine its shape to give an appearance of age,” said Judnich. He has instructed hundreds of students over the years through workshops and training sessions. In 1984, he started his bonsai nursery business in the San Francisco peninsula and relocated Al’s Bonsai to Jamestown in 2009.
“When asked to do the club demo, I chose junipers because most people think of this specimen when picturing bonsai in their minds,” he said. “They’re easy to work with and don’t require a lot of maintenance.”
The club’s monthly meeting will start at 10 a.m. and will be followed by the Judnichs’ presentation. There will also be a hands-on workshop and raffle for bonsai materials. Plus, members will have trees on sale for purchase.
Everyone is invited regardless of their levels of knowledge on bonsai. For more info, contact Bev Meyerhoff at (916) 934-6916 or bevmeyerhoff@gmail.com. The club email is motherlodebonsaiclub@gmail.com.
