I love designing furniture that is both comfortably functional, and resilient, while being aesthetically unique.
Making this work requires careful planning and joinery. With the exception of a band saw to cut out the rough shapes, all of my furniture is made with hand tools, and is designed to be made well -only in that manner. There are very few right angles in my furniture.
In the photo above, a gallery patron leaning on its back illustrates the solid stability of the stance of the piece.
Much of my furniture to date has been made from salvaged walnut logs that were too full of defects and wild grain to be useable for cabinetry, each log having only a couple of clear planks that could be sawn into straight edged lumber. Those pieces would have been short and narrow, yielding mostly waste. My way of working made it possible for me to use all the pieces, turning what would have been waste into fine furniture.
Public perception of furniture makers has changed for the better over the years that I have been working, rising in status to where it is on a level with sculpture and other fine arts. I feel that my furniture pieces are sculptural, in content and conception, providing my studio with a chance to explore more abstract forms than are normally asked of a woodcarver, while still anchoring the abstract shapes in the service of utility.
