Here Is A Poem My Daughter Wrote While I Was In A "Clockmaking Period" It describes my feelings about wood better than I ever could!

The Clock Maker

I've been doing one kind of woodwork or another for 30 years, and for me, it has always been about the wood. I must admit to an abiding love of the material. Whether I've been making earrings or inlaid murals, wine racks or sculptural bowls, or any and everything in between, I considered the object primarily as a showcase for the wood. The endless varieties of smells, textures, colors, patterns and grains continues to amaze me, even after all these years.

People have been very generous in their praise of my finished products, and I've enjoyed making everything I've done, but I finally feel like I've recently found my true talent...I attract what I see as the most beautiful wood in the world. I find it everywhere I hike or drive. People leave it in my driveway. It is all around me all the time. And, I've discovered that the part of woodworking I enjoy most is cutting up the wood I find and seeing what is inside...a treasure hunt that provides me endless enjoyment and deep satisfaction.

I truly feel my calling is to spread these wonders of nature around, so others might be moved by the beauty. My finished pieces did this on a limited basis, but now, thanks to Ebay and the wonderful people who have been buying my wood, it is being spread all over the country! I find this thrilling and not a little humbling.

I feel honored and deeply grateful to each of you and wanted to use this space to acknowledge your invaluable help! Thank you!

About My Wood And How I Work It

As with the evolution of any process, it is difficult to point to a beginning, but over the past few years I have been drawn more and more to "difficult" wood, finding it more exciting and beautiful in every way: bark edges , inclusions, extreme spalt, and what I have come to call "changed wood".

There is a point, I believe, in the journey of wood from living tree to mulch where there is a complete change in the material's cell structure. This is where magic happens! In this state, spectacular figure and color changes appear.

This exceptional period is very short lived, but occasionally I find wood at just that point. When I do, I invariably think it is the most beautiful wood I've ever seen...every time! And every time, I believe it is.

Sometimes structural integrity is sacrificed for the sake of beauty, but I have developed methods of working even extremely structurally degraded but esthetically enhanced wood with great success.

I like to use "dangerous" wood, but I got tired of losing pieces at the end so I experimented constantly, trying to find ways of enhancing the strength of the wood without sacrificing the beauty.

Most of my wood requires some degree of stabilization to guarantee success, but I never sell wood I don't feel sure can be worked successfully! The same procedures that work with "dangerous" wood also work with any amount of moisture content! I would be happy to share my methods...just ask!

All the pen and small turning blanks I sell are coated with a mixture of Beeswax and Canola Oil (foodsafe, AND it keeps my hands soft and young looking:-) then wrapped in cling wrap. This makes sure the wood is unaffected by airplane cargo holds and changes in climate.

*** ***  Click Here to read my "Wood Inspired Thoughts and Dreams"... There are some Tips and Techniques FAQ's, too:-)