bonsaiTALK Radio

Roving reporter Joan Berkowitz pays a visit to Southern California Bonsai Artist, Phil Tacktill.

Phil Tacktill began giving bonsai classes five decades ago and remains a highly regarded bonsai artist and teacher. Phil was in New York, dabbling in bonsai for his own pleasure when he was asked to give a bonsai class. Phil agreed, provided there were at least ten students. The first ten students showed up for a bonsai class held in Tacktill’s basement. That was the beginning of a long career, and Phil is still teaching and educating. He taped a video class that is still in use in the New York area today.

Phil discusses his philosophy of bonsai, and his influences, which include experiences with John Naka and Yuji Yoshimura, the development of a special bonsai forest, with comments on SAIKEI, HO-NON-BO and TANUKI.

Read the complete article at bonsaiTALK Community forum

This episode is broadcast from the home of Phil and Janet Tacktill in Sylmar, California.

Download Program #08 (27.43 MB 38.5 minutes)

SUBSCRIBE to bonsaiTALK Radio at iTUNES

Hideko Metaxas is a past president of Golden State Bonsai Federation. She has served as translator for numerous conventions and symposia, and has been active in bringing Japanese bonsai artists to the United States. Hideko has an interest in traditional Japanese arts, including, suiseki, sumi-e painting and, of course, bonsai.

We’re broadcasting from the Shohin Bonsai Seminar in Santa Nella, California where we discussed with Hideko the topic of tokonoma bonsai display.

Download Program #07 (20.82 MB 30.3 minutes)

Larry White is a member of Midori Bonsai Club in San Jose, California, and a prolific collector of yamadori, bonsai material taken from the wild. Larry shares with us some of his motivations and explains how bonsai fits in with his artistic pursuits

Download Program #06 (22.33 MB 32.5 minutes)

You can see some of Larry’s antique reproduction advertising signs at http://www.walljewelry.com

A Happy New Year greeting from the staff and membership of bonsaiTALK.

Download Program #05

The song, “To Be A Tree” by Amy Jo Doty is available on the Podshow Podsafe Music Network