The Artist

Even though I spent my career as a machinist working with metal, I have always loved working with wood as well, but the two materials always seemed to me to be in contrast with one another. I realized I was wrong when I made my first piece of jewelry combining cocobolo and brass and saw the result. Now my goal is to combine exotic woods and metals into artful pieces that become one organic form.

The Woods

Exotic woods offer an unlimited variety of colors and grain patterns to choose from. Heavily grained black palm stands in stark contrast with smooth grained pear wood. Solid black ebony is the total opposite to pure white holly. My objective is to highlight the individual characteristics of each species using copper, brass and silver.

The Designs

My designs mainly originate two different ways. Sometimes I start with a shape that has caught my eye, other times the design comes from the characteristics of the wood I’m using. Some woods have strong color but not much of a grain pattern and these woods play more of a supporting role. Other woods have a striking grain pattern that usually dictates the shape of the piece. I make several rough sketches of the piece and color the final sketch to get an idea of the total look. Once I’m happy with everything, the fun begins.