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.
Shaker Table of Cherry with Walnut legs
Cherry Kitchen Step Stool
Shaker Table of Honey Locust with Walnut legs
Three views of a Cabinet made of Cherry, Ash, and Rosewood:

Details of the Captain’s Chest

