The phenomenal bonsai art of Ryan Neil at Mirai

David Easterbrook ventures in the Pacific North West to visit some of the world's most reputable bonsai experts.
Accompanied by his friend Dave DeGroot (retired curator of the Pacific Bonsai Museum) he visits Ryan Neil the founder of Bonsai Mirai based near Portland, Oregon.
Ryan Neil generously shares his philosophy regarding his approach to bonsai and shows some of his most cherished bonsai specimens.

Пікірлер: 108

  • @TheBonsaiZone
    @TheBonsaiZone Жыл бұрын

    Thanks, a very interesting video and lots of cool bonsai talk!!!

  • @brettgeisler3065
    @brettgeisler3065 Жыл бұрын

    Unbelievable Ryan.. One of the most inspiring videos I’ve ever watched, so thanks David too.. I could tell that even you were blown away in how speechless you were.

  • @gobonsai811
    @gobonsai811 Жыл бұрын

    THANKS to David and Nick, such a wonderful adventure, I could have listened this philosophical journey for hour. Gosh!!! I hope Ryan came to see us in Montreal!

  • @jeef16
    @jeef16 Жыл бұрын

    the amount of work Ryan Neil has done to promote bonsai art in the USA is nothing short of fantastic, the current generation of bonsai artists is really elevating the art

  • @bonsaistop
    @bonsaistop Жыл бұрын

    Wow David what a fantastic opportunity to see the nursery and Ryan! Thanks for sharing with us :)

  • @FloridaWildlife
    @FloridaWildlife Жыл бұрын

    33 years doing bonsai and great to see it becoming more popular. Florida has some magnificent bonsai and artist. Thank you David and Ryan for all you do.

  • @Chercher4848
    @Chercher484811 ай бұрын

    Thank you David! As a beginner to bonsai this felt like a tour at a grand museum. The colors were beautiful, old trees stunning & it must h/b pure joy for you, Dan & the others to see in person. 🤩

  • @luismiguelseijomaceiras6767
    @luismiguelseijomaceiras6767 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you David and Ryan both. Admirable work in every sense of the word. You are both an inspiration and an invaluable resource for the bonsai community. And what a magical place Mirai has become. Can’t wait to have the chance to see it in person some day.

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    enjoy paying the $100 ryan neil charges you to see his collected yamadori

  • @brmbkl

    @brmbkl

    Жыл бұрын

    @@yoteslaya7296 I would love to pay that much for something I will remember till my last days. what do you like to spend your money on?

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    @@brmbkl bonsai that I create

  • @ginettecharbonneau5814
    @ginettecharbonneau5814 Жыл бұрын

    OMG what a fabulous tour...Thank you so much...

  • @JasonSchmidt-1979
    @JasonSchmidt-1979 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for bringing us along David!

  • @oussamachaachoui3727
    @oussamachaachoui3727 Жыл бұрын

    Just stunning, Thank you for this beautiful video

  • @Iosis6
    @Iosis6 Жыл бұрын

    It really is a spectacular garden. I've seen a lot of photos of the place but for some reason this video really gives you an idea of the scale of this place!

  • @jonathanaristone2468
    @jonathanaristone2468 Жыл бұрын

    For those of us who can't make this trip I was again inspired and gratified by this tour. Thanks for taking us along.

  • @reillyrussell829
    @reillyrussell829 Жыл бұрын

    What an amazing video. Thank you David for sharing!

  • @haydonsaunders9478
    @haydonsaunders9478 Жыл бұрын

    What an inspiration, you and Ryan both!

  • @craighunter3273
    @craighunter3273 Жыл бұрын

    What an absolutely bloody amazing garden he has. Thanks for taking us that journey. Cheers Craig

  • @adsminibuild5791
    @adsminibuild5791 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing this incredible collection and a snip of the knowledge that belongs with it .

  • @stephencreswell229
    @stephencreswell229 Жыл бұрын

    I know Ryan is known for his coniferous trees BUT his deciduous trees are nothing to sleep on. Becoming a Mirai live member has been the most elevating thing I've done in my pursuit of BONSAI!

  • @IrishMatt83
    @IrishMatt837 ай бұрын

    Ryan is the GOAT of North American bonsai IMO. Just dropping knowledge the whole time. Love this guy @bonsaimirai 💯

  • @davidjohnson7508
    @davidjohnson7508 Жыл бұрын

    As always, lots to be impressed by, lots to think about and lots of motivation to do, or at least try. Thanks David and Ryan.

  • @charles17508
    @charles1750811 күн бұрын

    Marijuana and bonsie is very similar in that what they eat and training them. I've been groing for 25 years and just starting to get into bonsie and it's awesome.

  • @josephconrad9725
    @josephconrad9725 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing this video David. I would love to hear more about the inspiration and learnings this visit offered you. As always, I’m grateful for your generosity when it comes to bonsai.

  • @JasonSchmidt-1979
    @JasonSchmidt-1979 Жыл бұрын

    Very fun to watch!

  • @9ballsantamaria
    @9ballsantamaria Жыл бұрын

    Fantastic Video David! Thank you for sharing. very enlightening..

  • @gregoryh4601
    @gregoryh4601 Жыл бұрын

    David. I don’t know how any of my words can tell you thanks for this Video. With My Age and be retired I will never be able to see the Glory of a Master Bonsai Artist. Thanks you so Much. May you have a very Save trip back and Happy Holidays . Gory of Ohio 👍🏻😃

  • @veganpullingpower6
    @veganpullingpower6 Жыл бұрын

    What a collection. just awsome how different country'sare talking on this art I hope it never stops

  • @googleuser6382
    @googleuser6382 Жыл бұрын

    "When science starts to becomes the art, that's pretty bad-ass." A gem from this video.

  • @NYBraveheart

    @NYBraveheart

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeap. That pretty much sums up Mr. Neil's philosophy. However, the way I see it - God forbid science becomes the art. Science is man made. It doesn't inspire. Art is inspired, and it inspires. Art recognizes and calls to mind The Creator, not its creator. Man is not God. He is made in the image and likeness of God. But he is not God. To the extent that man tries to substitute his 'science' for Art, he is playing with hellfire.

  • @modtheblackmarvel
    @modtheblackmarvel Жыл бұрын

    thank you sooo much.. verry informative .You and Ryan are legenday ..

  • @bonsaibythesea
    @bonsaibythesea Жыл бұрын

    Wonderful tour thanks For sharing 😊

  • @christopheossart777
    @christopheossart777 Жыл бұрын

    Super jardin avec des arbres et pot Magnifique merci pour cette vidéo !

  • @yontheexplorer
    @yontheexplorer Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for this , that's amazing inspiration

  • @matthewyakabuski9620
    @matthewyakabuski9620 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you David as always great vid your expertise and commentary . Are always so insightful . After reading the article in the New Yorker . About his apprenticeship . We are so lucky to have Ryan . So willing to share his knowledge . His comments in the vid while talking about the 1000 year old Rocky M Juniper . Say it all better than I could . He is truly next level

  • @suz4keeps
    @suz4keeps Жыл бұрын

    Awesome and helpful thank you

  • @Chris-oq6kn
    @Chris-oq6kn Жыл бұрын

    Thank u soo much for visiting ryan and showing us parts of the garden. Its great to see people pushing the artform for future generations. U and ryan helped me out a great deal. Thanks! From NYC

  • @iPheek
    @iPheek Жыл бұрын

    I just hear the podcast Ryan did with you in 2019 and you two talk about your life and bonsai and it’s very interesting! Everything you did to push the start of the Montreal botanical gardens! How your personal life mixed in with bonsai. Really good podcast!

  • @supervan86

    @supervan86

    Жыл бұрын

    Sounds interesting! Can you link that podcast?

  • @petestronach4949

    @petestronach4949

    11 ай бұрын

    friend i and i think others would love to listen do you have a link or clues,?

  • @stonemonkey1968
    @stonemonkey1968 Жыл бұрын

    A magical place that I loved going to with my brothers Tom Benda and Thor Holvila to make pots, great video thank you 🙏

  • @djctactics5811
    @djctactics58115 ай бұрын

    🤯 dude is dropping knowledge

  • @erickvarela2777
    @erickvarela2777 Жыл бұрын

    I love that guy!!!!!! He is like the Steve jobs of the Bonsai world! I want to go and shake his hand one day!

  • @NYBraveheart

    @NYBraveheart

    Жыл бұрын

    Being the "Steve Jobs of the Bonsai world' is probably why others don't love him. He's a tech guy. He calls himself a 'practitioner'- he's more technician than anything else. For me, he seems to have lost the humility that characterizes bonsai - humility before Nature, before The Creator.

  • @brmbkl

    @brmbkl

    Жыл бұрын

    @@NYBraveheart still, the results speak for themselves. we are all "tech guys", in that we use wire, fertilizer and scissors. he just takes in into a logical next step, to create pieces hobbyists can only dream of. edit; i don't know where your "humility" statement comes from, but as you can hear and see in various examples through this video, he very much respects what nature gives us.

  • @NYBraveheart

    @NYBraveheart

    Жыл бұрын

    @@brmbkl In reply, first let me thank you for sharing your perspective on Mr. Neil's work. I certainly wish him continued success. Perhaps you can tell me though how does the 'professional collector' he hires acquire the 'raw material' for Ryan Neil's use? What methods are employed? Mr. Neil says he strives to have all the tools to 'meet the material where it's at," but how? He doesn't collect the material himself. He doesn't see it where it's at. Mr. Neil hiring a professional excavator/collector is not the same as a bonsai hobbyist buying a nursery plant. I think you answered your own question about where my 'humility' statement comes from: 'he takes it into a logical next step.' For me, it's that next step. It only ever takes one more step. And it usually appears 'logical.' Pride goeth before the fall.

  • @robertobreglia9224
    @robertobreglia9224 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for sharing this beautiful and very interesting video! Great trees,Ryan is a great talent and has an enormous experience and preparation in the world of bonsai!👍👍👍👍

  • @tomb8069

    @tomb8069

    Жыл бұрын

    Yep, great talent for buying old collected trees and sticking them in a pot and selling BS to fanboys.

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    @@tomb8069 for real. Ive been saying this for a while. Ryan has talent but the majority of his trees are just yamadori

  • @gerardguyon4393
    @gerardguyon4393 Жыл бұрын

    Quelle belle rencontre! J'ai hâte de Voir Ryan à Montréal

  • @jubon_video
    @jubon_video Жыл бұрын

    Really2..penomenal bonsai master👍👍🙏

  • @mrincredibox
    @mrincredibox Жыл бұрын

    nice Mr.David and Mr.Ryan 👍👍

  • @vladimirtrousil677
    @vladimirtrousil677 Жыл бұрын

    I really appreciate you shared Mirai's visit with us here. Ryan has such unique aproach to bonsai and his collection is amazing. I just cross my fingers to meet Ryan here in Montreal. Thank you David one more time

  • @ericbalboa9408
    @ericbalboa94086 ай бұрын

    Amazing 👏

  • @operationaltactics1006
    @operationaltactics1006 Жыл бұрын

    Amazing trees

  • @bonsai_life_style
    @bonsai_life_style Жыл бұрын

    Finally you visit big bonsai magician .

  • @t3dwards13
    @t3dwards13 Жыл бұрын

    I'd love to see you interview Ryan in the future!

  • @RocamboleMan

    @RocamboleMan

    5 ай бұрын

    Agreed! I imagine there were many thoughts and questions after this visit that would make for a wonderful conversation. one I hope could be a combination of sitting still and then one that would go back to the garden and walk around and discuss the trees. It feels like a big ask... :)

  • @t3dwards13

    @t3dwards13

    5 ай бұрын

    @@RocamboleMan I understand that people are busy...But it could be done online. 🙈

  • @teresagalbreath7452
    @teresagalbreath745210 ай бұрын

    David, I love your work and love it when you visit different nurseries, however, it's hard to hear everyone. I think it would be great if you and your guest(s) had microphones on. Your videos like this are so low that I rely on cc to follow the conversations. Thank you for taking us on your trips.:D

  • @mcbabs7495
    @mcbabs7495 Жыл бұрын

    Mes salutations respectueuses Monsieur Easterbrook-san, j’espère que votre santé est bonne ! Merci pour la vidéo, ces arbres sont impressionnants!

  • @joannevandyke5112
    @joannevandyke5112 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent

  • @jollysn9393
    @jollysn9393 Жыл бұрын

    Insane 😮

  • @jindravorackova3464
    @jindravorackova3464 Жыл бұрын

    Beautifull.Czechoslovakia.

  • @hanskleinjan
    @hanskleinjan Жыл бұрын

    ART ❤️

  • @stephencreswell229
    @stephencreswell229 Жыл бұрын

    Master class!

  • @kikiwibowo8475
    @kikiwibowo84755 ай бұрын

    👍 dari Pematangsiantar

  • @charles17508
    @charles1750811 күн бұрын

    I want to come down and see his garden it's amazing how those trees grow with manipulation

  • @kikiwibowo8475
    @kikiwibowo84755 ай бұрын

    👍

  • @idontinvest1039
    @idontinvest103911 ай бұрын

    For some reason when I came across bonsai I never like the traditional bonsai crafting, I like to allow the plant to also do its own thing and we can work together to achieve a look that I may find as natural as possible. I also have the “do not cut syndrome” 😂.

  • @StephenTurnerVlogs
    @StephenTurnerVlogs Жыл бұрын

    It's great to hear from Ryan. Some of the questions got really good answers. Your editing though was so annoying! You could just have really asked him to start explaining again when it was quiet. Or, at the very least, have people wear microphones. It's lovely to feel like I'm there listening but I would actually like to hear what people are saying.

  • @BonsaiSociety

    @BonsaiSociety

    Жыл бұрын

    The timing of the visit was simply improvised and that's why it looked more like a vlog format. Nick was quite displeased by the surrounding noise as well and he almost decided to not publish the video for that reason but I am sure that many people would have been disappointed. You can even hear him being impatient towards the end and telling me I didn't say much. Ryan did not even know we were coming and he was going through a construction project in his garden that day. It was very generous of him to share some time with us given the circumstances

  • @StephenTurnerVlogs

    @StephenTurnerVlogs

    Жыл бұрын

    @@BonsaiSociety I'm glad he was so willing to give you a tour on three spur of the moment. It's just worth considering the final product.

  • @iamearthbeing
    @iamearthbeing Жыл бұрын

    18:18 - The Kraken! 🤯

  • @rafalkabat74
    @rafalkabat7410 ай бұрын

    David. Czechoslovakia has hot existed since 1993

  • @susanfield2444
    @susanfield2444 Жыл бұрын

    Ryan is a genius.

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    at collecting yamadori

  • @nicholasguest6719
    @nicholasguest6719Ай бұрын

    Brilliant video. The thing I'd love is for people to stop saying "bone"-sai

  • @Ben-lo7cy
    @Ben-lo7cy Жыл бұрын

    I went to buy a permit to dig and the guy was in a bad mood that year. After talking he said some guy from bonsai mirai was using explosives to get trees out and completely wiped out the trees on a large piece of landscape. Not sure if it’s true but it is kinda weird Ryan says he’s collecting as much as possible “to save them” when they’ve been living for hundreds of years and are doing fine when he takes them. Guarantee he’s not digging trees in poor health

  • @NYBraveheart

    @NYBraveheart

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for stating this. I think you're right. I found this video depressing, not inspirational. When Ryan Neil said that he uses a professional collector, it gave me pause.

  • @jacemyth
    @jacemyth Жыл бұрын

    How do you dig a tree that's almost a thousand years old knowing 100% without doubt that you will not kill it by digging? Thats my biggest issue with collecting bonsai trees... Seems like a really risky thing to do!!

  • @alexanderportolov
    @alexanderportolov Жыл бұрын

    Ryan is doing REALLY impressive work, looking into what trees native to America are capable of. He’s obviously very knowledgeable, but he’s got such freaking strong opinions... I guess it pays off, his trees are beautiful! But this man never stops talking... this is also a lot of white dude energy... boys showing off, comparing their... “trees”.

  • @NYBraveheart
    @NYBraveheart Жыл бұрын

    I appreciate Ryan Neil's generosity (genius?) in answering questions. However, as someone new to bonsai, once he started talking, he lost me. Too much 'science' for me. I guess when you have such an elite clientele and charge as much as he does for his work, it needs to sound 'high-minded' and inaccessible to the average soul. I think he's right to call himself a 'practitioner' of bonsai rather than an artist. He works more from his head than his heart. I read an Architectural Digest interview he did, and even when he waxes 'philosophical,' his words make no sense. Truth is Beauty, Beauty Truth. That is the art of bonsai. While Ryan Neil suggests that he strives to have all the tools he needs 'to meet the material where its at,' the fact that he hires someone else - a professional collector - to collect for him raises the question how can Mr. Neil know 'where the material is at.' Maybe knowing where rock comes from is enough (and Ryan Neil seems to know where his collector collects rock from). But a rock is not living matter like a tree is living matter. To know the essence, the truth of the tree you need to know more than where your professional collector collected it from. How can the soul of the tree be laid bare through bonsai if the tree is not observed in its natural habitat, where it lived, where it came alive. If Ryan Neil doesn't collect the tree himself, then how can he have met its Maker? Bonsai is living art. But hearing Mr. Neil talk about the thought he puts into his work, hearing him talk about his intentions, makes one view his trees as 'products.' They are more like science projects than labors of love.

  • @mattbrennan647
    @mattbrennan647 Жыл бұрын

    Ryan’s word salad for breakfast 😂

  • @veganpullingpower6
    @veganpullingpower6 Жыл бұрын

    Er it's all down to material what you find. Hate to be rude but just gas talk once you learn the art and principles of bonsai that's it nothing else .practice becomes bonsai once you hit that mark that's it

  • @rafcio69patcio
    @rafcio69patcio10 ай бұрын

    Czechoslovakia doesn't exist for 30 years.

  • @mattbrennan647
    @mattbrennan647 Жыл бұрын

    Mirai FOIST

  • @mattbrennan647
    @mattbrennan647 Жыл бұрын

    Apparently Kamala and Ryan had the same English teacher. 😆

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    how does it feel to be a man simping for another man? Im getting 2nd hand embarrassment

  • @chaquatics9512

    @chaquatics9512

    Жыл бұрын

    @@yoteslaya7296 you should be embarrassed, but not 2nd hand, rather for your uncalled for rudeness. He’s simply stating a fact, if it upsets you that much you have bigger issues to worry about.

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    @@chaquatics9512 sounds like you're the butthurt bitch here not me. Lol just looked at your subscriptions, subbed to bonsai mirai like a good little Ryan Neil bootlicker. Pathetic

  • @chaquatics9512

    @chaquatics9512

    Жыл бұрын

    @@yoteslaya7296 why are you watching this video if you hate him so much? Keep lashing out at strangers online buddy it won’t make anything better for you

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    @@chaquatics9512 because I can. Deal with it nerd

  • @memberphil
    @memberphil Жыл бұрын

    I don't like Ryan Neil for certain reasons ...

  • @yoteslaya7296
    @yoteslaya7296 Жыл бұрын

    ah yes the rampant idolization of ryan neil. The only part of the bonsai community that now makes me nauseous. The only reason you people bootlick this man is because he studied under kimura which is a big name in bonsai. Never the less, lets not forget this man charges you $100 just to come and visit his nursery. Also a large portion of his bonsai is yamadori so it was nature that did all the work while he soaks up all the credit. Come on dave i thought you were better than this, dont be a mirai bootlicker.

  • @josephconrad9725

    @josephconrad9725

    Жыл бұрын

    Do you think the same way about museums? They charge visitors for works created by artists, and probably invest much less labour compared to what I could see from the video of the nursery. In many cases museums are even subsidized because we think they have an important function in our societies. I can understand you may feel that a commercial approach to a natural subject such as trees feels wrong, then again, the quality of the works at display and the effort and generosity of Ryan justify his approach. I’ve been able to find a lot of valuable education for free that Ryan and the bonsai community, like David, are sharing via the internet.

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    @@josephconrad9725 justification of being a bootlicker.

  • @briancrawford2485

    @briancrawford2485

    Жыл бұрын

    David seems like a nice humble guy. Ryan is a bit ...intense

  • @gobonsai811

    @gobonsai811

    Жыл бұрын

    I mean, if you hate the Guy so much, why losing your time at looking the video?

  • @yoteslaya7296

    @yoteslaya7296

    Жыл бұрын

    @@gobonsai811 i dont hate ryan neil i dislike his idiotic followers who think he's some bonsai messiah