Artist name

I first became interested in woodturning when I visited a woodturner's studio in Cygnet, Tasmania in 1996. Looking back, it seems a very long way for a North Carolina native to go and find his future craft. My background is in furniture design and engineering, and the lathes that I was familiar with were automatic machines with big spinning cutters that quickly produced many finished parts such as chair legs. But what I saw in "The Deepings" woodturning studio was a master Woodturner turning out bowls and other one-of-a-kind pieces using hand tools as the lathe spun the wood. I decided that day that I would have to give this art a try.

Within a week after returning home, I had a lathe set up in my shop. Taking tool in hand, I proceeded to learn woodturning from books, videos, and practice. I continued to turn as a hobby until moving to Newland in 1998 when I decided to turn my hobby into a full-time profession. With the support of my wife, Patti, I began a new phase of my life that provides the satisfaction of creating beautiful works of wood.

I enjoy the control of the entire process of woodworking, from gathering the wood, drying it, turning the piece on the lathe, and giving the piece its final finish. Whether the piece is a twenty-inch diameter bowl or a wood-cased compass, all the work gives personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment not often found in our busy modern life.

Newland, NC

 printable version