Artist Info
The beauty of working with wood has been a passion of mine since an early age. My first influences came from watching my dad create wonderful things for our home. As a teen our family visited the redwood forests of California. The giants changed the way I look at trees and think about wood.
Furniture, boxes and picture frames have long been things that I enjoyed making for my family and friends. I endeavor to include a new technique, a new challenge or something out of the ordinary in each project. Then a wood lathe entered the shop for one such project and things have not been the same since.
Turning and sculpting wood are now a passion. The wood lathe opened up new avenues of creativity and is central to all of my current work. Although it is a machine, it is also a partner in the process, challenging one to think spherically.
My life outside the studio has been a journey that has seen motorcycle racing, working for both startups and large corporations, and partnering in a consulting firm. These days my wife Jen and I live in LaGrange, IL with some fish and the yard critters. We love to laugh, to cook, to travel and root for our favorite teams.
I am a member of the Windy City Woodturners, the Chicago Woodturners, and the American Association of Woodturners.
Furniture, boxes and picture frames have long been things that I enjoyed making for my family and friends. I endeavor to include a new technique, a new challenge or something out of the ordinary in each project. Then a wood lathe entered the shop for one such project and things have not been the same since.
Turning and sculpting wood are now a passion. The wood lathe opened up new avenues of creativity and is central to all of my current work. Although it is a machine, it is also a partner in the process, challenging one to think spherically.
My life outside the studio has been a journey that has seen motorcycle racing, working for both startups and large corporations, and partnering in a consulting firm. These days my wife Jen and I live in LaGrange, IL with some fish and the yard critters. We love to laugh, to cook, to travel and root for our favorite teams.
I am a member of the Windy City Woodturners, the Chicago Woodturners, and the American Association of Woodturners.
“A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.”― Louis Nizer
The name of my studio is in tribute to my father and mother. The above quote, attributed to Nizer, hung on a bulletin board in our kitchen for most of my youth. My father was a journeyman who installed flooring. He worked hard, was dedicated, and passionate about his work. The work was hard on his hands and knees. When mother came across this quote it took a prominent place on the bulletin board. She was proud of dad, the work he did and his dedication to his craft. |