I
began refining my woodworking in the mid 1970’s after having
spent much time restoring the house that I had purchased in 1968,
further restoring a number of pieces of antique Canadian furniture
that I had acquired in those years. Then I designed and built some
new furniture in period style to compliment those that I had
purchased and restored. By this time I had become quite captivated
by wood as a material of beauty with its infinite variance of
color, texture, grain, figure and the patina that is the blessing
of time.
In 1977 I made my first rather primitive boxes and in 1978 did my
first woodturnings. No, I did not have a lathe yet, rather I turned
them on a makeshift faceplate fashioned out of a pulley wheel,
which was mounted on the end of an old half horse power furnace
motor. This worked for small items such as eggcups, which I then
housed in the small boxes that I had made to enclose them. Also in
1978 I was lucky to be able to purchase the bole of a huge black
walnut tree in southern Ontario and have it milled by a local
sawyer. Together with my wife we even dug out the root stump which
we lugged home whole in a borrowed van, sawing it up with an old
two man cross cut saw. Walnut is for me a favorite but I use many
other species as well. I would describe myself as a self taught
woodworker who enjoys using hand tools where possible, I do though
use a 6 inch jointer and band and table saws.
My objective has always been to attain simplicity of line with
balanced form, high structural integrity and topped with a quality
finish. My work is sold on commission or through selected
galleries.