When I was growing up, I played in the woods behind my house in Southern Illinois. This planted in me respect and love for the wonders and beauty of nature. Each tree is a unique individual, and their inner rings and grain patterns are a documentation of personal life events. They show visual evidence of drought, injury and can even tell us how long they lived.  

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To me, building fine furniture is about the process of understanding how to properly work with wood and how to best enhance the raw, natural beauty of the grain patterns they preserve. I strive to accentuate the unique features of each piece of wood I work with by placing it within a balanced composition. With each small step of precise measuring, cutting, gluing and sanding pieces come together to form large intricate pieces. It is greatly important to me to make sure that each step within the process is done to the best of my ability so that these naturally beautiful pieces of wood are assembled with great precision. Through attention to detail, I can ensure that they will last for generations to come.   

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I was born in Southern Illinois and grew up in western Kentucky with artistic talents and learning disabilities. I have dyslexia and this has affected the way I learn and process information in all aspects of my life. Since I wasn’t able to thrive in a traditional educational system I was labeled as stupid and was often told that I would not achieve success. Although I do experience deficiency in reading and writing, I have heightened attention for mathematical thinking and physical problem solving, which is a strength in the art of wood working. Paul Sasso introduced me to working with wood and encouraged me to take my first craft school class at Peters Valley School of Craft. I excelled in the craft school setting and met many other artists that directly influenced me such as Doug Seigler and Stephen Proctor.

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Furniture and sculpture gave me direction and now I am working in a field that I can excel within despite growing up poor with a learning disability. I strive to further myself in my art practice, but equally important to me is teaching kids and adults from my local region that do not have consistent access to the arts.

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Sharing craft knowledge and creating educational experiences for children and adults is a large part of my mission. Art changed my life for the better and I am passionate about exposing people to visual art and providing opportunity for personal growth through hands on classes. It is important to meet people where they are, and I happily create programing for all kinds of learners at all levels.