I have been a custom furniture maker for 20 years, first in Taos, New Mexico and now in Port Townsend, Washington.  During that time my work has evolved to be more organic both in design and technique.  Forms in nature have always been my primary inspiration.  I admire the simplicity and economy of the natural world where each material shows its full range of possibilities. 

I am drawn to natural forms because they are not static:  they grow, spring, flow, balance, fracture and erode.  Each of my designs starts with the idea of such a motion, in addition to the function     of the piece of furniture.  In my furniture I emphasize structure over ornamentation, and dramatic transitions instead of exposed joinery. 

To refine my designs, I sketch, make scale models and full size patterns of important parts. 
I choose woods that complement the design of the piece and the room for which it is made.      Since nature is my inspiration, I try my best to care for it by using sustainably harvested woods. Many of the details of my furniture do not show up in photos:  textures, edges and curves that are meant to be touched more than seen.  I want my furniture to be fun to touch, sit in, eat off and live with for many generations.

Current Gallery Representation

The Art Institute of Chicago Museum Store, Chicago, IL
Bellevue Art Museum Store, Bellevue, WA
Museum of Art and Design Store, New York, NY
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Museum Store, Santa Barbara, CA
Milwaukee Art Museum Store, Milwaukee, WI
San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design, San Francisco, CA
Gardiner Museum of Art, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Bungendore Woodworks Gallery, Bungendore, NSW, Australia
The Gallery, Bainbridge Arts and Crafts, Bainbridge Island, WA
Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
Salt Spring Woodworks, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada  
b.j.spoke gallery, Huntington, NY
Earthenworks Gallery, Port Townsend, WA
GUILD.COM

  

Selected Exhibitions

30th Annual Contemporary Crafts, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
Cascadia Furniture Exhibition, Maltwood Museum, Victoria, BC, Canada
7th North American Sculptural Wood Invitational, American Art Company, Tacoma, WA Square One Art Mine, Port Hadlock, WA
Alchemy of the Abstract III, Northwinds Gallery, Port Townsend, WA
Art of Craft, b.j.spoke gallery, Huntington, NY
Sit and Reflect juried show, Snohomish Arts Council, Everett, WA
Spring Faculty Invitational, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
Small Boxes juried show, Wharton Escherick Museum, Paoli, PA
Above and Beyond juried exhibit, Phoenix Airport
Taos Invites Taos, Invitational Show, Taos, NM
 

Awards

2010- NICHE Awards Winner in Furniture Category  Read 
2009- NICHE Awards Finalist in "Traditionally Joined Wood" Category                               
 2008- Carol Duke Artist Award of Excellence, Bellevue Art Museum, WA                 
2008 - NICHE Awards Finalist in "Home Furniture" Category
2008 - NICHE Awards Finalist in "Traditionally Joined Wood" Category                      
2007 - NICHE Awards Finalist in "Home Furniture" Category
2007 - NICHE Awards Finalist in "Traditionally Joined Wood" Category
2007 - 1st Place National Design Portfolio Award for Residential Furniture, CWB Magazine Read
2006 - Carol Duke Artist Award of Excellence, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
2006 - NICHE Award Finalist in “Home Furniture” category
2006 - NICHE Award Finalist in “Traditionally Joined Wood” category
2003 - Award for Funtional Art, Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA
2003 - Emerging Artist Award, Bellevue Art Museum Fair, Bellevue, WA
1996, 98, 2000 - Recipient of the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Scholarship for study at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO
2000 - Award for Excellence, Boulder Artfair, Boulder, CO
1999 - First Place Award, Boulder Creek Festival, Boulder, CO
1996 - Primary Award Winner Silverhawk National Fine Craft Competition
 

Publications

Fine Woodworking Magazine Back Cover August 2010 
Fine Woodworking on line slide show see here
New York Times Home Section,  Currents Column 2/5/2009,   read here 
500 Tables, Lark Books, 2009
Design Book 8, Taunton Press, 2009  
Jefferson County Leader, Feature Article, 10/29/2008
500 Chairs, Lark Books, 2008
Seattle Times, NW Weekend , 7/24/2008
Interior Design Magazine, May 2008
Woodworkers Journal ezine, Feature Article, May 2008, read here
Hometone.org, Feature Article, April 2008, read here 
Pacific Northwest Home Magazine, Feature Article,  Feb  2008
Woodworker West Magazine, Feature Article, January 2008
Fine Woodworking, January 2008
Woodworker West Magazine, September 2007
Interior Design Magazine, June 2007
Woodworker West Magazine, January 2007
Custom Woodworking Business Magazine, December 2006
Luxe Magazine, Fall Issue, 2005
Wood News Online, 2005
400 Wood Boxes, Lark Books, 2004
The Workshop Book, Taunton Press, 2004
Port Townsend Leader, Jefferson County Week, 10/22/2003
Modern Masters show #612, Home and Garden TV, 12/20/2001
Fine Woodworking magazine, October, 2001
Object Lessons: Beauty and Meaning in Art Guild Publishing, 2001
Taos News, Tempo, 12/27/2001
Rocky Mountain News, 6/30/2001
The Taos News, Tempo, 7/10/1997
 

Teaching

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN: workshops on table design and construction

Port Townsend School of Woodworking, Port Townsend, WA:  Workshops on Curving Wood for Furniture

Highland Hardware, Atlanta, GA: Workshops on Making Curves in Wood
 

Education

1986 - BA Williams College, Williamstown, MA: Degree in Philosophy and Environmental Studies
1996, 98, 2000 - Furniture making workshops at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO