Randy is a retired middle school principal living in Metairie, Louisiana. He studied visual arts while in school and later became a teacher. In addition to bonsai, he has a passion for martial arts and holds a 4th degree blackbelt in Sibpalgee kung fu specializing in classical weapons. While in high school, he developed an interest in Japanese gardens and in 1971, was presented with his first bonsai – a gift from his father. He ardently began studying bonsai and in 1980, discovered the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society and joined that organization where his knowledge and skills were able to grow and take shape.
He studied extensively under Vaughn Banting, but also had such teachers as John Naka, David DeGroot, Ben Oki, Warren Hill, Dennis Makishima and Mauro Stemberger. In 1982, He started Bennett’s Bonsai Nursery which operated until 2005. During those years, he began teaching, writing articles on bonsai, managing individual bonsai collections for clients and continued to develop his bonsai skills.
Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, and he lost his entire bonsai collection of over 200 trees. He sold the nursery and after a brief respite, began collecting again and rebuilding his collection. Since that time, he has concentrated on my personal trees and continues to write articles and teach bonsai.
While he loves working on all trees, his true passion is with the many deciduous species and in particular, bald cypresses. He wrote a book on bald cypress as bonsai, dedicated to his mentor, Vaughn Banting, called Bonsai Design: Bald Cypresses. Now that he is retired from the school system, He is able to indulge his passion with bonsai to the fullest as a traveling bonsai artist providing lecture/demos, educational programs, workshops and study groups.
