Natural Form Furniture

I first saw and admired rustic furniture in the Adirondacks, where my family has camped for generations. My earliest pieces were made at the family camp on Union Falls Pond. I used materials like white birch and striped maple saplings joined with nails. After studying wood design and carving at Alfred University's College of Art and Design, I saw possibilities for lasting, well-crafted furniture made from wood as it has been worked by nature.

I love the sculptural properties and the graceful curves of twisted branches and roots, as well as the beautiful grain color of finished interior wood. I enjoy the challenge of working with seldom used materials, such as Eastern Red Cedar, "muscle wood", taphole maple, and split wood. Most of my stock comes from my own carefully managed forest here in Western New York. I make my furniture directly from the forest, cutting the trees, slicing them into boards on a 40" band saw, solar drying the boards and finally putting together a peice of furniture. A lot of inspiration and designs result from my many hours spent working in my woods. Other material is obtained in the Adirondacks and New Hampshire.

My chairs are made with coped joints, cut by hand, a process which is very time consuming. I strive to create the effort of one part "growing" out of another. Some of my pieces are "concept" works, like my inside-out maple throne and my beaver seat. Each is an individually crafted sculpture which also happens to be a comfortable piece of furniture to grace your home for years to come.

Let me capture the spirit of a tree for you!