My dream has long been having the time and tools needed to create hand-crafted objects of beauty. So when I retired after 30 years as a middle school teacher, with my wife’s blessing, I took the proverbial plunge and invested time, energy and my savings into pursuing my passion.

My shop, the “Dog House” is situated just a few steps out my back door. Most days it is wide open, affording views of huge sandstone boulder fields, colorful treetops and the valley below. This setting is truly an inspiration for my work. Speaking of inspiration, many of my tools were handed down to me from my father whose father had passed them along to him. Generations of use have resulted in tools whose wood and steel are smooth. All of these elements combine to become part of each piece that I create.

The twisted trees that emerge from the mountain’s magnificent boulders are a reflection of my work. The wood that I use is not straight-grained wood from the lumber yard. It is wood that has been salvaged from landfills, knocked down by storms and discarded without thought. Each of these pieces tells a story. Each is unique and has found new life in the forms that I create. Much of this wood has large knots and internal clefts. Some pieces have spalting and insects holes. A few even have iron stains from rusted nails or buckshot. All have unusual grain and color that can only come with the passage of time. Even though this wood is very difficult to work with I am drawn to it. I hope that my work speaks to you, that you hear the wood's story as your hand passes from rough edge to the smooth hand-worked face and back again.