After having learned the basics of woodworking from my father and grandfather, I took it up as a hobby. I started to think of doing it professionally when I took some woodworking courses and found that I had some ability and could produce better work than some of the instructors. After a number of my law clients were acquired and the volume of their legal work diminished, I took the opportunity to retire early and make furniture full time. I formalized my technical skills with a degree in cabinetmaking from a local tech college and polished them at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine.
It was in Maine that I came to appreciate the beauty and variety of various hardwoods and how to use them to advantage in designing and constructing furniture. It was a refreshing adventure for me at mid-life, and it was gratifying to learn that what was new for me was firmly rooted in centuries of techniques and traditions. And, I cannot deny the immediate and tangible satisfactions that come from designing and producing something beautiful with one’s own hands.
Three views of a Cabinet made of Cherry, Ash, and Rosewood:
Details of the Captain’s Chest
