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.
The Work
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I believe that form is the bedrock for my work. When I carve, pierce, cut, or burn a piece, if I start with bad form I will still have bad form after a lot of work.
A well made bowl is a thing of beauty. It wants to work, to be held, and quickly becomes a family heirloom. Some of my favorite mentors are production bowl turners. I turn bowls whenever I have the chance. For me, a handmade bowl has a pureness of form and that just-right thickness that sets it apart. Although I make a myriad of things, hollow pieces just have a certain cachet. They provide a wonderful palette for me to dally with form, texture and finish. Inspiration often comes from the hands of the ancient ones. All cultures created beautiful utilitarian vessels. Form followed function, yet beauty and embellishment were central to the work. Looking back often helps to see forward. Using the wood lathe is a unique amalgam of mechanical and hand work. Hand-working a form further is a natural extension of the creation process. Symmetry and asymmetry are ever present in the natural world. It is with this in mind, that I embellish a piece with a curve, flute or texture. It is my intent to magnify the innate sensuality of the form. Wood is a wonderful natural medium with which to work. Most of the wood I use is from the urban forest of Chicago's western suburbs. This wood is from trees that are felled for new construction, safety concerns or disease. I work with local arborists, clubs, or harvest the wood myself. I derive great pleasure in extending the life of these natural wonders. To look at a finished piece and know that a small bit of tree was saved from the mulch heap or fire pit warms the soul. When not using locally sourced wood I refer to the CITES and IUCN lists to help make ethical decisions regarding a particular woods use. |
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“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. |