DOGWOOD STUDIOS

Tyler was born in Hickory, North Carolina.  He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he graduated in 2008, majoring in philosophy with a minor in cinema studies.  After graduating from Tennessee he was introduced to Bonsai when he worked at the Bonsai Learning Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.  After working at the Bonsai Learning Center for a year he attended several workshops with Boon Manakitivipart of Bonsai Boon in the Bay area of California.  Boon assisted Tyler in gaining an apprenticeship with Sinji Suzuki in Obuse, Japan.  Tyler left North Carolina and began his apprenticeship with Mr. Suzuki in 2011.  Tyler's apprenticeship lasted for five years.  In the Spring of 2016, Tyler received his professional certification from the Nippon Bonsai Association.  While working under Mr. Suzuki, Tyler was able to work on a variety of coniferous and deciduous trees.  He was responsible for refining the trees and preparing the trees to be entered in Japan's top bonsai competitions which included Kokufu-ten, Taikan-ten, and Sakafu-Ten where several of the trees won top prizes.

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