Weekend Wiring Intensive

Service Description

Wiring is bonsai, and bonsai is wiring. Boon, who is internationally recognized for his wiring, has said it for decades, and he means it literally. There is no aspect of styling, from first bend to final refinement, that doesn't run through the wire. This workshop will teach you to see wire the way Boon sees it. Over two days, in Boon's private studio, students will wire. A lot. Cuttings, whips, developing material, and refined branches, again and again, until correct technique becomes habit. Boon will demonstrate, students will apply, and Boon will observe constantly, correcting as he goes. If it's wrong, he will tell you it's wrong, and he will tell you to do it again. That is the workshop. Students should come ready to be pushed past the point where their wiring "looks fine," and to leave with hands that understand what books can't teach. The course is built around Boon's two core principles of wiring: effectiveness and beauty. Effectiveness means the wire actually does its job. It holds the trunk or branch securely in the position you intend, with the minimum wire necessary. Students will learn to judge wire strength against the material itself, apply wire at the correct working angle, and recognize when to use copper and when to use aluminum. Beauty is not a stylistic preference, it is an essential to effectiveness. Crossed wires, uneven spacing, teeter-totters, and incorrect application will not be accepted, and students should expect to unwire and rewire branches more than once until it's right. Beyond application, students will cover the full lifecycle of wire on a tree: when to remove it before it bites into the bark, and the two correct methods of removal. Boon runs this workshop the way he runs his own studio: direct, exacting, and entirely focused on the tree. Students should come prepared to work hard, take correction well, and leave with confidence in their wiring knowledge and ability. Details * Two days, 8:30am–5:00pm (45-minute lunch break) * Limited to 6 students * $500 per student * Includes wire and practice material, BYO Tools * Held at Boon Manakitivipart's studio