California Bonsai Studio was created in 2008 by Travis Goldstein as a way to share his passion for the art of bonsai.
California Bonsai Studio continues thanks to the passion and dedication of several unique individuals who share a profound love for trees. Their collective commitment ensures that the timeless traditions of bonsai and Niwaki remain vibrant and accessible to all.
Travis Goldstein
I am still working my way through learning what bonsai is. As a child, bonsai first appeared to me as a symbol of Mr. Miyagi’s peaceful and caring nature. It soon became a hobby facilitated by Kmart and various roadside vendors.
Travel to Japan enabled me to see bonsai as an incredible and ancient living art form.
As I sought to learn more, studies with many dear friends proved bonsai to be a social activity.
Joining bonsai clubs helped me to realize that everything about bonsai is highly debatable.
Apprenticing for years without pay helped me recognize bonsai as a passion.
Traveling to remote towns in Japan and digging in distant desert mountains showed me what an incredible adventure bonsai can be.
Countless hours working on bonsai trees alone led me to see bonsai as a form of meditation; a tool to practice zen and presence of mind.
As I started raising my children in my early 20’s bonsai became a way of grounding myself.
Meditative time spent studying ancient bonsai and trees in nature led me to believe bonsai can function as a capacitor and filter of mass-energy, similar in nature to the air exchange process between trees and aerobes.
Racing motorcycles proved bonsai to be a way of balancing the extremes of life.
Teaching bonsai to others helped me see how much I still had to learn about it.
Colin’s help at the studio has allowed me to see bonsai as a passion once again.
Seeing the world today has me suspecting bonsai is nature calling to us, pleading for us to realize our oneness, to change our ways and become the masters (servants) in nature we have the potential to be.
Colin Purcell
Hi, I'm Colin Fraser Purcell, a bonsai teacher and artist based in Long Beach and Santa Barbara, California.
After completing a biology degree at UC Santa Barbara I discovered the art of Bonsai, and my passion for trees eventually led me to an apprenticeship with Travis Goldstein at California Bonsai Studio in Thousand Oaks. Subsequently, I took over day-to-day management of the bonsai studio and began teaching classes and workshops
My goal is to make bonsai approachable and accessible for a wide range of hobbyists and enthusiasts.
Shig Hayashi
Shig and Travis developed a close friendship initially meeting at various classes and clubs throughout Southern California and bonding through their shared passion for bonsai.
Shig is exceptionally humble, yet he possesses an enormous wealth of experience and knowledge concerning the art of bonsai cultivation and care.
Since 2010, Shig has generously taught the free monthly bonsai class at California Bonsai Studio, sharing his expertise with anyone eager to learn.
Get in touch if you’d like to find your place on our team.