I began my woodworking and woodturning journey standing beside my father as a very young man. And as so many of my generation, I turned my first bowl as part of shop class in junior high school.
I spent my college years and many after that designing and building scenery for the theatre, eventually working professionally in the theater. In 1987 I came back to woodturning with a newly trained and developed eye for the aesthetic and a passion to create objects on the lathe-- from practical bowl forms to art pieces that serve to express my artistʼs voice.
Watching long curls of green wood fly off a spinning form produces a state of harmony that forms a bond between the turner and the piece. To the sense of touch, a finished piece is very satisfying, and the beautiful grain and natural markings are enhanced by the shape of the piece. I have learned many woodturning techniques and used a wide variety of tools over the years that have allowed me to experiment with wood while allowing its natural state to emerge.
I feel strongly about using domestic American wood. I make it a practice to use wood that I have collected and dried. The destruction of a natural storm is a horrible thing to happen, but to reclaim wood that can be made into something pleasing and beautiful offers some consolation. Iʼve been told that owning such a piece can bring back memories at the mere touch.
For the past few years I have really enjoyed making spheres. In the beginning it was enjoyable to take a finished sphere in oneʼs hands and feel the smooth, continuous round surface. I have since come to understand that the sphere is a perfect form as it reflects so many things in nature.
I am a member of the American Association of Woodturners, the founding president of the Michigan/Ohio Woodturners, and member and past president of the Acadiana Woodturners. I also belong to the Louisiana Crafts Guild and Lafayette Art Association.
