Biography

When I stepped off the plane 25 years ago and saw the Smoky Mountains in the background with 300 different shades of green I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore – and I wasn’t going back. My love of wood started with a forestry merit badge in boy scouts when I made a collection of woods, leaves, and nuts. A visit to a cabinetmaker’s shop introduced me to beautiful exotic woods from trees which I never heard of or knew existed. Today I still haven’t decided what to do when I grow up. I love woodworking and do just about everything except turning. I build boxes (small and simple to large and fancy); sewing notions, cutting boards, furniture, and carve (from Christmas decorations to large busts). I prefer using solid woods in my woodworking, but my skills include veneering, inlay, marquetry, fretwork, and intarsia.  Today most of my work is done using locally harvested Appalachian hardwoods. I love showcasing the natural beauty of the woods that surround us by creating functional and entertaining items for everyday use.  I am a Master woodworker with the East Tennessee Woodworkers Guild, a member of the Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers, and an artist member of the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society.

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