Since he first viewed the bonsai creations at The Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square, Pennsylvania, Michael Persiano has devoted over a decade to the study, design and development of bonsai art. His creations, strongly influenced by his collaborative activities with Chase Rosade, and through his study of Masahiko Kimura’s creations, are reflective of both the traditional and contemporary in bonsai design.

As an artist, Michael has developed a great passion for the living art of bonsai, displayed in over 20 articles published during the past 5 years, in Bonsai Today, International Bonsai, Bonsai Magazine, Bonsai (Germany), and Bonsai: Journal of the American Bonsai Society. As a professional writer and artist, he is currently developing new bonsai, and documenting the creation process under assignment for Bonsai Today. In to the magazine articles, Michaels cyber-articles appear at the website of the Stone Lantern Publishing Company, under "Bonsai Insights" (http://members.aol.comIASNOB/index.html)

Michael continues to delve deeper into the subtleties of the art through the exploration of new techniques for the design, developement, refinement and restoration of bonsai. Whether he is working woith a field-grown specimen, damaged or neglected trees, or something discovered on a "nursery crawl", he enjoys the challenge of reaching into the heart of the material and releasing the beauty of the tree. Michael has developed a 3-part formula for beauty and health - generate a creative design plan, aggressively feed immature bonsai, and execute the appropriate applied technique.

Michael is very busy in 1999. He is conducting lectures, demonstrations, and workshops on his methods and techniques in the US and abroad. He will be at Brussels’ Spring Rendezvous in May, and, in October, will be in France for 17 days, as the featured artist for the FFB (Bonsai Federation of France).