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Bonsai By Gregg:

Artist's Profile

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I was born on Octobar 10, 1952 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  The area were I lived for nearly thirty-three years was called Suck Creek.  It is a rural, forested area about twenty-five minutes away from Chattanooga, on the border of The Prentice-Cooper State Wildlife Preserve, and running along the bank of the Tennessee River.

My paternal ancesters settled in the area in the early 1800's.  My father, mother and brother, along with his wife and children still lives there today. I still have property there also, waiting for the day I return.  I enjoyed growing up in the woods and I will return there one day.  But for now, I live in the Bay Area of Northern California.

I began studying bonsai in March 1973, when I stumbled upon a bonsai show sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society of Chattanooga.  I was immediately taken by the spiritual re-connection bonsai gave me with Mother Nature--the Nature I had come to know and worship growing up in the woods.  I signed up as a member on the spot.

In 1973, not much was available to those of us who wanted to learn the ancient art of bonsai, especially in the South.  It would be six years before William N. Valavanis would launch his first issue of International Bonsai, and another ten years on top of that before Bonsai Today would become available.  One could say that I was lucky living in Chattanooga at that time, however.  Because, there was another person very much bewitched by the spell of bonsai  living in Chattanooga as well.  His name was George F. Hull.  He had been the Founder and First President of the Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society.

Mr. Hull was a well known author and photographer, and considered by many to be an expert in gardening and landscaping.  His photographs appeared in Life, Look, Time, Newsweek, and several photographic publications.   He had articles about gardening published in the New York Times, House and Garden, Popular Gardening, Plants & Gardens, Horticulture, and other magazines.   His book, BONSAI FOR AMERICANS, was the first book I ever purchased on the subject of bonsai.

Twice a year, Naka-sensei would bless our humble little club with a visit.  Those days were special.  His workshops were very personal.  That is to say, he would spend a great deal of time with each of us individually, showing us the way to create a masterpiece out of a one-gallon twig, and sharing his proverbial wisdom as he went.  I think the one thing that he has put into my mind that remains to this day as strong as then is "Study Nature."   In other words, get out and look at trees.  Get under them and look up.  Notice Them.  Get to know them.  Mr. Naka had suggested drawing the branches, how they twist and turn, dividing and dividing again, getting smaller and smaller, until finally there's only twigs and buds.  Unfortunately, the only thing I've been able to draw are gnats and mosquittos.

By 1985, I had successfully made my way through to a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Anthropology and gotten myself accepted into UCLA for a Master's in Folklore/Mythology and Celtic Studies.  It was time to quit my job of ten years as an industrial pattern and model maker and leave Chattanooga.  Unfortunately, California wouldn't allow me to bring my bonsai into the State, so I ended up having to give them all away.

I guess it could go without saying that I was pretty depressed on my move out to California.  That was in September of 1985.  It wasn't until March of the following year that I was able to pull myself out of the blues and go looking for more bonsai material.  I have no idea why it took so long, but  anyway, it wasn't long after that that I was back into the swing of things.

I met my next teacher, Ben Oki, at a workshop which was held twice a month at a house near where I was living at the time.  I went, and then, I kept going back.  Sometimes I had bonsai material to work on, but most of the time I just went and watched.  Graduate school was taking every penny I had, so it was difficult getting any really good material for Ben and I to work on. Ben is incredible.   Watching him work on a tree, I often thought that he was associated with some higher, ethereal school of bonsai.  I learned a lot from Oki-sensei, but the one thing I remember that precedes all the other stuff I learned from him is this: Don't forget the basics!

On the 1st of July 1993, I moved into my new home in the East Bay area of San Francisco, California.  After I settled in and found out what bonsai clubs there were available in the area to join, I became amember in the East Bay Bonsai Society, the Yamato Bonsai Club, the Bay Area Shohin Society, and became a founding member of the Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai.  In April 1994, I visited a bonsai exhibit put on by the Fuji Bonsai Club.  I immediately got the feeling one gets that says, "This is the club I should be in,"  so I joined the Fuji Bonsai Club that day.  Today, it is the only club to which I attend.  I am now the club's President, Assistant Sensei, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, and refreshments provider.

(left to right) Joe Uyemoto, Sensei Jimmy Inadomi, and myself during the demonstration at the 45th Annual Fuji Club Bonsai Exhibit.

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