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Though I lived my whole life within the forests of the Black
Hills, I spent most of my early adulthood working with metal, as an automotive
machinist. It wasn’t until 1980 when I began to help my dad make furniture
that I began to express myself in wood. Observing first my dad, and
then turning to many books on the subject, I began building furniture, concentrating
on the contrasts of different woods and the beauty and functionality of finely
crafted joinery.
I was drawn first to the simplicity and straight lines of Gustav Stickley, but influenced also by the smooth rounded edges and elaborately pegged joints that the Greene brothers were known for. A chance visit to a Santa Fe gallery while on a family vacation drew my attention to the lathe as a new avenue of expression, and it is now the primary focus of my creativity. |
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My early work concentrated on bowls and learning the basic techniques necessary for the mastery of the lathe and the hand tools used with it. In recent years, I have discovered the mystery and attraction of the vessel form, and while continuing to use wood as my medium, I study the work of many clay artists, both ancient and contemporary, for inspiration. However, unlike the potter who builds up a vessel with clay, I reverse the process, revealing the art within a large piece of wood by peeling away the layers, a bit at a time. I often inlay natural voids and bark inclusions with gemstones, metals or contrasting woods to further highlight the natural beauty of the wood. |
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| Working with thin
walled vessels led me in a new direction--that of turning wood to a translucent
thinness, where I can highlight the beauty of the wood as the light plays
through it, illuminating the grain, figure and contrasts of color. While
I sometimes work with vessels to accomplish this, I also turn lamps and lampshades
entirely of wood, creating shades with walls only 3/32 of an inch thick.
Much of my work in this area is dependent upon the ability to get the right
woods at the right moment of moisture--an increasingly difficult task with
the continuing droughts here in the Black Hills. Inspired by Stuart Mortimer and other master woodturners, I have begun carving many of my vessels and working with the illlusion of movement in the wood. No matter what direction my work takes me, I strive always to bring a love of form and wonderment to my work. I hope to translate my thoughts into a form that is both pleasing to the eye and to the hand, while challenging my skill and artistic expression with each new creation. |
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Recent Awards: |
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Bear Rock Woodwork |
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| Copyright 2007 by Artists of the Black Hills.
Images copyright by the individual artists. Any other use is prohibited without written permission. Artists of the Black Hills P.O. Box 588 Hill City, SD 57745 
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