To most people, bonsai is just a tree in a pot; however, to
Ryan, it is much more. For Ryan, bonsai is a way of connecting more deeply to
nature, a way to find calm, an outlet to practice scientific thinking, and an
outlet for creativity. Ryan Huston started exploring the art of bonsai at the young
age of 8 when he first encountered the bonsai collection at the Franklin Park
Conservatory in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. From that day on, Ryan always
had at least a handful of prebonsais he was learning to keep alive. Much later
when pursuing his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, Ryan was
inspired to further explore the art of bonsai and began volunteering at the Elandan
Gardens under the famous bonsai artist Dan Robinson. Dan is known for his unique style which emphasizes ancient trees with a heavy emphasis on natural inspiration,
deadwood, and US native species and these preferences were deeply ingrained in
Ryan’s bonsai practices as well. To that end, one of Ryan’s favorite
bonsai-related activities is camping in exotic places around the US and
collecting naturally stunted trees wherever it is legal. Exploring such natural
spaces also has the compounded benefit of providing inspiration, helping Ryan
understand forests and species-specific nuances around the country in their
native environments. Ryan records some lessons from his travels as well as his time
as a bonsai apprentice at his bonsai blog “www.Ry2Tree2.com”.
Ryan has since continued his educational pursuits in bonsai by starting YouTube
channels for the Puget Sound Bonsai Association and Columbus Bonsai Society to
share artist demonstrations, participating in the Bonsai Time Podcast, and giving lectures and demonstrations for public events. Now that Ryan has moved back
home to Columbus for the Microbiology Ph.D. program at The Ohio State University,
when not studying he is focused on advancing his trees, studying and collecting
native species in Ohio, and sharing the art of bonsai wherever possible.
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| Here I am with my first yamadori (wild collected tree). Through my knowledge of biology and Dan's experience, I hope to build on Dan's success in transplanting and cultivating great wild trees into bonsai. ~Fall of 2016. |
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| This picture of Ryan was taken after dewiring the Japanese Black Pine behind him on a cold winter morning in the PNW. 2020. |
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| After moving to Ohio, Ryan returned to Elandan Gardens to visit and work with his former teacher once again. This Japanese Black Pine he styled has been grown from seed by Dan since 2000. As of this styling in January of 2022, it is finally on a path to becoming a bonsai! |
