I have always been an artist. As a young adult I made thousands of drawings, paintings and sculptures. I went on to art school at CMU in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I eventually met my wife, Laura. While studying the habits of master painters, I discovered the practice of “sacred geometry,” or measurement and proportion in nature used to create symmetry. I became so excited about this process that I forgot entirely about painting. Along the way, Laura and I had two children and to support my new family I began making prints of my geometry work and selling them after dance parties, making a few hundred bucks at a time.
With the opening of TechShop in Pittsburgh I gained access to a laser cutter. I was the first student to learn how to use it and demonstrated the laser to President Obama when he visited. The laser cutter changed my process and how I make art, now my new work focuses on design that showcases the unique qualities of each piece of woodgrain. I have made countless pieces of jewelry, art and housewares with this technology. I’ve built a network of people who appreciate my work and supply dead-fall lumber and scrap wood to my shop. This new work includes landscapes of wood-grain, individual framed pieces of grain as jewelry, more traditional parquetry technique for boxes & coasters, and high end modern furniture.
After years of struggling to get by, my business has finally turned the corner. I’ve hired a business manager and with the addition of manufacturing space, industrial scale tools and employees we will continue to grow sustainably. My life is finally to the point where I am realizing my lifelong dream of a marriage between woodworking, geometry and art – all within an environmentally friendly community based business.