I am a woodturner, making both artistic and practical bowls as well as sculpture.  I have developed a reputation as a pure form woodturner. This means I strive for purity of form and try to find the most elegant lines when turning a piece of wood.

You will find both classic and very modern shapes in my bowls. I try to work with the wood to reveal the beautiful grain and natural figure. I use post-turning enhancement, such as carving, burning, coloring or gold leafing. But, they are used to "tell a story" --  to enhance designs and concepts, and are never allowed to overpower the work.

This bowl is part of my "Ceremonial" series.  It is an example of how I "tell a story" using post-turning enhancements, including carving, in-fill and gold leafing.  With this series, I am trying to capture the feeling of an ancient artifact, newly dug up at some archaeological site.  The lettering adds a sense of mystery and hints that the bowl may have had some ceremonial use.  The gold leafing helps the feel that this was an item of some importance in the past. Yet all this does not overpower the spectacular old growth Redwood.

I normally turn wood bowls in two stages. The first stage is to take a piece of log and shape it into a rough thick bowl, which I boil, wax and dry for over a year. By doing this, I can guarantee the bowl will keep its shape and will not crack. The second stage involves taking the dry rough bowl and re-turning it into a stable and elegant final product. But sometimes I will turn a green piece of wood very thin and let nature take its course. It will warp, and this warping can enhance the beauty of the piece -- as in the Maple flower on the right.

I also produce sculpture, at least partially turned on the lathe. These explore the themes of truth and consequences, and creativity. Sometimes they are political statements. Each is more than just an exercise in design -- but as with so much modern sculpture, I leave it to you to find your own meaning. Please have a look at my galleries.