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Creative Process

Vision

In high school, I discovered a passion for woodworking and, have been designing and creating pieces ever since.  It combines my bent for engineering with my desire for creating art in three dimensions.

Now, most of my day is spent in an office, pursuing hi-tech solutions to urgent problems. As with most people in modern life, it can be dizzying, and occasionally you loose sight of that personal and selfish fulfilment that art provides.

Woodworking is my salvation. Its extremely personal, immediate and satisfying. 
Partly its egotistical: I create what I want. 
My guidelines are that I must love it and be proud of it. 

Design

I'm drawn to the natural elements, like wood and stone. But I like modern sleek design. 
The primary element – wood, should speak with its pattern and textures to create beauty with its strength and versatility. Shape is dictated by the grain and patterns I find in the wood.

Occasionally, steel and glass are introduced as a juxtaposition.

Each piece has its organic nature, shaped into a functional artistic design. After years of woodworking and keeping a very low profile, I've had the urge to show some of my work to a wider audience. Conceited as that may be.

Materials

All my wood is local.

 

Usually felled by a arborists. Often its the hydro crews cutting down older tress to protect the power lines.

Typically its:

  • maple - sometimes heavily spalted

  • oak

  • hazenut

  • cedar

  • ash

 

Ideally, I have time to rough turn the forms quickly,  while the wood is a moist as possible.

My turnings are typically large.  The larger the better! 


Always from one block of wood, never glued up smaller pieces. 

 

That requires a surprising amount of large, heavy machinery.  My shop owes a great deal to the golden age of woodworking, from around 1880 to 1950. Years ago I started collecting and restoring fantastic old machinery.

 

All of it is in use.

Let the Chips Fly!

Wood turning can be a very messy


Rough cutting wet wood sends chips flying everywhere, covering the ground, all around the shop and down my top.

Sanding is the worst: clouds of dust, EVERYWHERE

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