Tell us about your practice and how you came to making?

I call my self a woodworker but my work involves many different disciplines in one. Some metal working, some restoration, some woodworking, some lighting… I really just like to make things. My love for woodworking came from middle and high school shop classes. I loved the hands-on environment and the endless possibilities that could come from working in wood. As a college student I went to school for fine art. I always gravitated toward  classes such as sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics. I’ve always enjoyed immersing myself into the work. I liked the mess and dust that came from the process. Each mess marks a successful day of creating.

Do you have a ritual when it comes to making/designing work?

My ritual typically starts with sourcing materials. I go to a lot of flea markets, estate sales,and  barn sales collecting things that inspire me or have a certain look I like. I’m constantly surrounded by the things that inspire me in my studio, be it old signage, rusty metal or some wood that has unique character. Sometimes an idea strikes me while sketching, while other times the idea for a piece hits me when purchasing it. I like to keep a good bit of materials around in my studio to keep the creative process flowing.

You speak about finding inspiration in the ruggedness of industrial landscapes and the sleekness of modern aesthetics. How do you marry these two seemingly distinct influences when you’re creating new work?

I seek a lot of inspiration from modern design. I tend to pull some aspects from mid century design. Such as angular leg styles with sleek straight lines, but pairing them with something a bit more gritty, such as metal with a rough patina or riveted aluminum panels from airplane parts. While other times I may pick a piece of wood with some innate character such as holes or knots. Oftentimes I find myself creating something more modern with the rougher wood I like the juxtaposition that come from crating a modern styled piece with rough or reclaimed lumber.

Much of your work centers around enhancing the beauty of and creating new use for a found object that may have otherwise been overlooked or forgotten. What is the process like to create a new form out of a forgotten relic? How do you determine what it should become?

Typically the pieces I work with share the studio space with me for months sometimes years, before I get to making with them. I spend some of my time in the studio working on pieces and putting them down to play with some other ideas. This process is what slowly takes me to the culmination of ideas for a finished piece. Sometimes I’m half way through a project and realize it would look better with another element I have laying around the studio and it takes a whole other form. This process can be tedious and other times could be the break the piece was missing.

You grew up in an area that values design through antiquing and reverence to historic architecture—do you think this played any part in how Wood Repurposed developed?

This absolutely played a large part in how I developed the idea for WoodRepurposed. Growing up in the eastern Pennsylvania area I was surrounded by a good mix of farm land with beautiful barns mixed with a fruitful antique culture. I’ve always loved the beauty of old timber framing and the treasures that could be lurking around in old barns. My family always had a nack and appreciation for antiques and the preservation of  the old pieces. I grew up with these values and today find it to be somewhat of a centerpiece to my work. Each piece can tell a story of the past life it once lived. I love having part in taking these old pieces from their original form and making them something completely new.

What are some challenges you face when incorporating antique objects and relics into your woodworking practice? How has it impacted your technique as a woodworker?

One of the biggest challenges is keeping a clean and ready wood shop. One day I could be creating a modern styled dining table with fresh milled wood. And the next I could be working with old timber from an 1800s  barn with nails and metal hanging from it. A lot of time that switching of gears can be rough on the shop. Having to switch to sharper more precision tools from a more rough messy process. Most times the shop needs a hard reset between projects. 

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on creating a line of furniture based on more modern designs elements. In doing so I aim to carry over my style and skills accumulated from my one off styled work. Through my years of work I’ve found it hard to have repeatable pieces seeing as most of my work is made using found objects and antiques. This new venture  does not mean I would stop making my one off work and rather would be expanding on some designs and hoping to better pair my work with the modern styled pieces. I’m really  excited to share this line and get some of these designs I’ve been working on into production.