My earliest attempts at furniture making were and remain some of my most personally rewarding. Ten years ago I began to hone my skills in the building of rustic or primitive furniture. I would set off into the quiet woods in the summer, fall and winter with a handsaw, a rucksack and a vague idea of what branches and curves I was looking for to build imagined tables and chairs. In many cases the natural forms I found would dictate the outcome as much as my design ideas. I was enchanted by furniture that looked like, and was sometimes more wild, than the trees they came from.

 

Over the years my stylistic interests have branched out or you could say that I have found new ways of celebrating wood as a material. These days I enjoy the finely tuned precision of good joinery as much as the relaxed fit of the rustic approach. I have been exposed to many traditions of woodworking and have been influenced by their guiding philosophies. Many share in common a sense of confusion with the modern pace of production and a weariness with run away consumption. Hand made objects become a material way of addressing this spiritual crisis in peoples lives.

 

No matter the tradition, I try to always show sensitivity in my craft; this can be in the use of grain and natural forms to the many properties of different species. I enjoy making objects which can be described as precious yet display the artists touch. This can be a smooth polished surface or a purposefully hewn one. An important aspect of designing objects is that they be purposeful and since the objects in our homes are among our most intimate, the care with which they are made should reflect this special status. With so much of our life’s furnishings becoming mass produced and standardized, I hope that when someone sees my work (like it or not) they will see that an individual has taken the time, spirit and optimism to make something different.