With each piece I make I’m inspired by the people it is created for. It’s fun to see how even one piece can transform their home as well as their attitude. My goal is to have each piece exceed the expectations of the client as well as my own. Just as important as the right design is the construction and finish. My father instilled a sense of quality in me from an early age and I don’t feel good unless I know it’s made perfectly.
People are always asking me what is my style. It’s what I’m currently working on. I’m too much of an idea person to do the same thing repeatedly. I like designing benches because they have a large area for decoration. I love tables because the legs can have personality and be just about anything. Such structures give me the freedom to play with form, shape, and pattern.
After earning a Fine Arts degree from the University of Kansas and a successful corporate communications career in Chicago, I left to study furniture making to design and build sophisticated—and sometimes whimsical—studio furniture. Before I made my first mortise and tenon, I started carving. I think it was a starting point for me because it was an extension of being a painter. Carving and patterns add a dynamic element and reminds the viewer that this was made by hand.
