As an artist working with fine wood, I strive to create uniquely beautiful works that blend form and function. My pieces are a combination of my own designs that reflect architectural elements that peak my interest. Each project starts with a mental image. Visualization is like my sixth sense. I let my ‘mind’s eye’ direct each project as the design evolves in order to maximize form and function. While my creative approach is intuitive, I express my creativity through physical, hands-on craftsmanship honed by years of practice that can be detected in the fine detailing of each piece.
I have always had an innate desire to create with my hands. At home, my family instilled in me the values of hard work and practicality. At a very young age I recall sitting at the card table at the bottom of the stairwell drawing, carving soap and making jewelry. My aptitude to operate machinery began in the garage with my father in Minot, North Dakota. I developed skill using tools and machinery as they spoke to me. These early lessons---that beauty and usefulness are two sides of the same coin---still guide me.
I approach each project with the attitude of an artist. My signature woodworking traits: contrasting woods, curved legs and old school joinery techniques (mortise and tenon; and cross-lapping) and the design elements, compliment my innate artistic ability. Inspiration comes from the wood itself and my ability to transform a raw material into a functional piece of art. I strive to transform wood into elegant, clean and concise lines that will be admired by those with an eye for fine detail and those that can feel my passion for wood when they caress the surface of any piece that I create.
