I am a woodwork artist. I have been making my living as a cabinetmaker since 1980 and have been doing art in various forms my whole life. For years (1983-1996) I created cabinets in all Naus Haus homes (with James Carnahan of Matrix Designs 1983-1986), and then worked as the Sundog Builders cabinetmaker (from 1996). I've also worked many private homes and business in and around Chatham County. You can see some of my work at The Plant, New Horizon Downtown, and Artwork around the town of Pittsboro.
(You can also read more details in my About Me- The Deeper Dive section on this website.)
My dominant hand was compromised after Spine surgery in 2005. In the fall of 2007 I enrolled in a painting class at the ArtCenter. I always loved drawing and hoped that painting would help me find control using my right brain. Still working with wood, I began to see ways to “draw” with wood and use all the beautiful small wood scraps that I collected through years of cabinetmaking. The last 20 years I have gradually slowed down the amount of cabinetmaking I am doing and switched into artistic creations and "wood drawing".
In 2011 I moved my work to The Hanger and I shared creation space at FatCat Art Studio with Janice Rieves, an artist of mosaic glass, metal, and paper. In March 2015 I joined the Chatham Artists Guild and began focusing more on Art. Needing a more climate controlled space, In the winter of 2021, I decided to build a shop at my home. I moved my work there in the summer of 2022.
I love the combination of cabinet work and artistic creations. They both use different skills and tools, and everyday I'm learning or re-learning something new. Most days I'm just a "mad scientist" in a wood shop, seeing what new ideas I can bring into form.
In 2021 I decided it was time to move my shop to my house. My friend Ed Griffin had a great shop with metal trusses, so I asked him to build me one too. I moved my shop from Fat Cat Art (The Hangar) in June 2022. I miss my work pals but also love the convenience of working at home. I will be doing shows here from time to time with my talented neighbors and Chatham Studio Tour here in December. So watch my events page!
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