I honestly can’t remember when I wasn’t drawn to scrap pieces of wood. Whether I just wanted a stick to whittle on or I thought of something to make and my Dad said to practice on scrap before you use the expensive stuff. Over time, the question of “what could I do with that” has become part of my DNA.

​

Virtually all of my woodwork is made from material gathered or “harvested” from our urban environment. I use wood I find on the curb from tree work and occasionally I work with a tree service to select portions of trees before it hits the ground. I make use of furniture I have literally found in the trash dumpster as well as pieces nearing the end of their useful life.

​

The origin of the ideas behind my work is quite varied. The first sparks come from things I see or touch that create memories that my brain filters into mental images that I have to investigate and work through. Hoarding wood as I do affords me the mental space and freedom to take my ideas directly to the wood without too much advanced planning. In fact, most of my figuring, ciphering, and designing happens during the making process.

​

Most of my work begins on the bandsaw. Cutting 3 dimensional shapes on the bandsaw produces amazing shapes that I wouldn’t automatically generate on my own. I am always mulling over and sifting through my pile of offcuts. The figurative items that I make sprang directly from my own scrap pile. My first song birds came from the corners of the boards or square chunks that needed to become round things. My wading birds were born from the negative spaces cut away in the process of making spoon blanks.

​

The initial sparks and ideas continue to evolve as I make more and more things. Making the things I do and in the way I make them gives me great joy and satisfaction. I also receive a great sense joy and satisfaction from the sparks of joy and connection people have to the things I make.

​