As an elementary and middle school teacher, I hope the students I have supported, loved, and pushed throughout the years emerge as better humans than they were in September, who know a bit more about the world and themselves, and have gained some academic skills as well. It is a process which, after 30 years of teaching, I still find extremely rewarding. But there is no sense of completion, nor do I expect there to be; my students are not “done.” I have helped them in their journey through school, but the learning, the self-discovery, the struggles continue the following year, and the year after that, and so on. I think that is what attracted me to woodworking some 20 years ago. The sense of completion; taking what was once nothing but a pile of rough lumber and turning it into a finished table, bed, clock, or jewelry box.

 

I derive a great deal of satisfaction from working with wood. It’s a wonderful medium to apply oneself to, and one that we are fortunate enough to have in plentiful supply here in Wisconsin. However, what I truly enjoy, what really gives me a sense of satisfaction is seeing the finished product, no matter what that might be. I think I appreciate it all the more because of my career as an educator. The pieces that I produce- end tables, sofa tables, plant stands, nightstands, clocks, and cutting boards- all are of similar and somewhat simple design. This is intentional. I pride myself on finding beautiful and unique woods to work with and then allowing the natural beauty of the wood to shine through. As I progress as a woodworker, as I learn new techniques and begin to make different styles of products, I know one thing will remain the same: my work will always feature and highlight the natural beauty of wood.

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I work with a variety of Wisconsin hardwoods, as well as select exotic species. Sometimes this involves laminating strips of wood into one "blank", which I then plane and sand down before it is used as a cutting board, clock, tabletop, or other item. I work with both hand and power tools in my shop, sourcing my wood from a number of local suppliers. Tools that I frequently use are: Table saw, bandsaw, planer, router, table-mounted router, sander. I hope you enjoy my work.