About

A short walk from our old home, exists an incredibly special tree. Surrounded by forest, five stems extend out of the base forming a palm with fingers that reach up into the sky. Almost magnetically, our (at the time) 3 year old is drawn to this tree. With a little steadying, he clamors up into the palm of the tree and, literally being held by nature, he is still.

In these moments, I pause and wonder what it is about this tree that has the ability to shape and slow the perpetual motion of a toddler. I imagine that, like me, in his being he feels this is a special place — as a whole it is more than the sum of its parts.

The tree like any natural thing is a marvel. Each detail only leads to more: peer closely at the bark and you’ll see the amazing variations of color, the small patch of moss, the endless variations in its shape. Every detail has been woven for a specific purpose, functional beauty refined by the realities of natural selection. Look up, along the towering branches above, you’re treated to the marvelous interaction of light and leaf canopy with the blue sky beyond.

My goal is to create furniture which embodies the properties of this tree. Furniture that is more than the sum of its parts, furniture that gracefully combines strength and beauty. Furniture that is in harmony with its environment. And, lastly, perhaps most importantly, furniture that creates a connection beyond its utilitarian relationship to us.

I am drawn to furniture for the ways it shapes our lives — of the many things we build, furniture is incredibly intimate, it often literally holds us. Furniture also shapes our interactions, a comfortable chair enables a long lingering meal shared between close friends. Made well, that dining chair will hopefully get passed down, loved by and linking generations of family. It is this longevity of a well made object which can help us understand ourselves in a context that extends before and after our individual timelines.

The more I build, the more I appreciate the foundation of a strong craftsperson, a swiftness and sureness in my hands, and a strengthening in my artistic voice. While I understand that the path of a craftsperson will rarely run straight, I appreciate being part of a community where folks are bravely forging their own paths forward.