All of my pieces are handmade, one-of-a-kind items created in my shop in State College, PA a lovely town nestled in the mountains of central Pa that we graciously share with the Penn State University.
My shop is located in my house which allows me to work whenever the mood strikes me. An advantage that may not be looked on as positively by the other members of my household when the mood strikes at 4 am. I also have a showroom/gift shop attached to my home that I share with my wife, a fiber artist. Unless otherwise noted, all work on this site has been designed and created by me. Occasionally, I will collaborate with other artists for mixed media pieces and a few items have been worked on by a rarely appearing apprentice or two.
While I often make many of the same size and style of a particular piece, no two are identical. I do not use any fixed patterns or duplicating machines found in most other shops. My work is all completed freehand and I strive to choose unique and interesting grain and species combinations for each and every piece. I enjoy creating items or designs that others have not thought of trying. I try to place equal emphasis on functionality and beauty. The juxtaposition of varied colors and grain patterns of differing species adds depth and complexity to what could otherwise have been a very plain piece.
A majority of the wood I use in my work comes from reclaimed or recycled sources. The remainder is purchased from suppliers who use Eco-friendly harvesting practices.
Reclaimed wood is wood that has never been part of a finished piece. It usually comes from the mill or the larger fabricators as their waste material either because of its size (too small) or because they deem it to be “flawed”. It is these “flaws” that I seek out. The knots curls and burls that the cabinet makers throw awayare the exact stock I prefer due to their natural beauty within. Plus, as an added benefit, by giving this lumber a new lease on life as one of my creations, I am reducing the waste stream volume, if only by an infinitesimal fraction.
I gather recycled material from broken furniture, discarded crates and pallets, even building demolition or remodeling projects. Any wood that has experienced a previous life as an end user product has potential as a recycled piece of my work. Some of my pieces include lumber that is well over a century old.
I have recently begun harvesting my own working stock from various sources such as dead fall I find in the woods, trees that are being removed for other reasons including building expansions and disease control. I am currently conducting small scale milling and drying techniques. I recently acquired a chainsaw mill and have constructed a solar drying kiln attached to my house.
For the small percentage of wood that I purchase from commercial sources, such as the exotic species, I make every effort to ensure that the wood is harvested in an environmentally friendly fashion from sustainable growth practices.
Even the hardware I use in some of my work, and the jigs I fabricate for the shop are often made from recycled products. Items such as hinges, hangers and brackets are always collected for later use as are many fasteners especially antique screws and bolts. I get much more enjoyment out of utilizing recycled or self fabricated hardware than with mass produced store bought junk.
For my finishes, I use Eco-friendly products such as citrus oils and beeswax. Unless specifically requested for an individual piece I rarely use high VOC content products such as polyurethane or paints. If I do need to use these types of finishes, I have found some certified environmentally friendly product substitutions that fit the need. They are quite a bit more expensive, but I believe they are worth it. I am always in the process of gathering certifications from my suppliers as to the harvesting or manufacturing practices they use. Contact me if you desire this information.
I hope you enjoy my work and remember, I’m willing to try to create any custom item you think you can use. Just let me know what it is you desire and I’ll do my best to create it!!
I welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry. All items are unconditionally guaranteed.
Kevin
