Heartfelt & Handmade

I carve these wares from greenwood, with knife and hatchet, drawknife, and gouge. I am looking to create a functional yet personal object that will be used, cared for, and handed down from generation to generation.

I find there is a solitude in working with my hands, an inward reflection as my breath slows, and the thoughts settle. The idea is to become intimate with the material and create something meaningful.

My focus hones in on the feel of the knife cutting the fibers and the flow of the grain. Between the heart, the hands, and the material, there is an exchange of information. There is reciprocity between the physical nature of the wood and the intent of the craftsman. The reality of grain and atmosphere, blade, and fiber temper my ideas about the work.

Trees are a natural resource and need to be respected and protected, no matter where one lives. I try to follow the three Rs of environmentalism; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I never take more than I will use; whenever possible, my work is created using locally-sourced material, wood that I have found or pruned myself; and the waste — the chips I produce from carving — go back on the compost pile, completing the cycle.

I believe that everyone would like to touch, use and own something handmade — something crafted by hand — now and again. I think that these utensils, unlike the mass-produced smooth plastic disposables, put us back in touch with their humanity, humility, mortality. I don’t look at it so much as going back to nature, or back to a bygone era, but looking forward to creating a sustainable future for our children.