artist statement

When I am witness to things of beauty, I feel an inner glow, a sense of wonder. It is as if my soul is being fed. There is much to draw energy from.

In the work I do, I have the privilege of working with some of natures beauty. The wonderful woods I spend my days with are works of art in themselves. In the pieces I create, I try to celebrate this natural beauty.

I am also driven by a passion for fine craftsmanship and design.

My personal pursuit of fine craftsmanship has led me into the world of hand tools. Machines still have their place, but the tools that make up the soul of my studio reside in shallow drawers, and racks on the wall. As my hand tool skills have improved, I have been able to accomplish increasingly difficult technical work - tasks that at best, would be very difficult to accomplish with machines. This has opened up a whole new bag of shapes and forms to draw from when I am designing.

The pursuit of quality designs - designs that come from within - has been the most challenging part of my work. Fortunately, early years of painful, frustrating design time have given way to a more productive, satisfying process. It feels like I am learning to tap into that illusive personal voice we artists all search for. I'm looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me...

Throughout my career, I have drawn inspiration from the work of many artists - past and present. I'm not drawn to specific styles as much as I am to really exceptional, creative, ambitious pieces. 

What I find even more inspiring than the pieces themselves - are the courage and vision of the artists. They dreamed big. They pushed through the intimidation. They set aside their fear of failure.

They shot for the stars.