Using the wood lathe is unlike any other aspect of woodworking. The nature of turning requires a prolonged state of concentration. The process itself demands a type of meditative effort not unlike throwing a clay pot, only it is completely reductive like carving stone. On a good day I try to lose myself in the rhythm of the machine and the spinning wood which becomes my point of departure, next the sound and the tone of the cut that I am making and ultimately – if I am able – the resonance of the wood itself. The confluence of all these efforts has everything to do with the ease, clarity, and success of form. Rhythm is a major motivating force in all my work whether it be simply sketching or the larger sculptural works, I attempt to use it to connect to a deeper creative force which I believe can only happen when I am not fighting against the nature of the materials and the processes at hand.

Wood itself is a living thing, many times the pieces that I am working with are older than I am, and I try to treat that awareness with the respect of a witness. There exists an entire, traceable, unique story within the lifetime of a tree that can be revealed in working with it as wood. I have come to believe that this alone is worth a lifetime of work, investigation and learning.

Each freeform turning is completely handmade. Every piece goes through a lengthy process, which can take up to six months from start to finish. The wood is carefully harvested, shaped, seasoned, and shaped again. The result is a beautiful, unique, poetic, one-of-a-kind sculpture. The beauty of each sculpture tells the story not only of how it was made, but evokes a connection the the larger natural world.

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