I came to do woodworking over 20 years ago as a “late bloomer”. I had already been established in a professional career - as a nurse - and had just completed advanced studies in this field. A new job brought me to rural northern California where I did not have any family or friends. To fill my free time I enrolled in an adult education class in woodworking. I didn’t own much furniture so I decided to make a coffee table for my apartment. This experience of building something useful, using tools for the first time and creating a functional object out of a stack of rough wood was so satisfying and exciting to me that it ultimately changed my life. I was unable to forget about woodworking, and several years later, I made the decision to work part-time. I was then able to take woodworking classes.

        I took woodworking classes at College of the Redwoods in Eureka and a few summer classes at the Fort Bragg campus. Over the years I acquired tools as I could afford them and developed my own shop. My career as a woodworker began when friends asked me to build something for them.

          I have been a member of the Ferndale Arts Cooperative for two years and I have sold my work through our gallery in Ferndale as well as Caravan of Dreams in Arcata, Gallery M in Half Moon Bay and Northwest Fine Woodworking in Seattle.
         
          I am a member of the Humboldt Woodworking Society,and have shown my work in local shows - College of the Redwoods Wood Fair, Plaza Design and the Morris Graves Museum of Art. I have participated in the annual Box and Container Show at Nothwest Fine Woodworking in Seattle for the past 4 years.

          In 2001 I was awarded the People's Choice Award at the show at Plaza Design, and 3rd place for Small Projects at the CR Wood Fair for a pair of maple end tables .

       I have built very few things from plans gotten from a magazine. Very early on I just started creating my own designs. I love the challenge. My designs evolve over time and sometimes even during the course of building the actual piece. Discovering the beauty of wood has been a constant source of delight and wonder. The color, grain, depth and tactile nature of wood are something I enjoy very much. It is not an easy medium to work in but the rewards are great. When each piece of wood works in harmony with every other piece to complete the whole it is a very satisfying experience. Even years later when I see something I made, it fills me with pleasure - like seeing an old friend. 

       I became interested in turning because it allowed me to see more immediate results from my work and I could complete a piece in a relatively short time. The other thing I like about turning is that it is very free and spontaneous. Furniture making is very exact - the joints and dimensions must be precise for the pieces to fit together well. With turning you don’t necessarily need to measure anything - you can do it completely by eye, which I prefer. I generally never know what the finished piece will look like beforehand.  In turning I start with a chunk of wood which is rough and at times rather unsightly. Then as the tool cuts through the outside layers and goes deeper and deeper, many wonderful surprises are revealed - colors and grain patterns, spalting, bark inclusions, knots and other natural “defects” which add to the beauty of the piece.

          I have been taking art classes at College of the Redwoods for the past few years and this is influencing my current work. I have been incorporating color and texture more in my recent work. To view my work you can also visit the Ferndale Arts Cooperative website at www.ferndaleartscoop.com