After moving off
campus at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire my junior
year into a small house with no furniture, necessity
sent me into the school workshop to build a desk.
Thinking I would nail together a few 2x4s and a sheet of
plywood, I figured I would have a desk in a day or two.
The workshop instructors, however, encouraged me to make
a real piece of furniture. Soon I had crafted a simple
mission style desk with square legs and one drawer all
in solid maple. After four months and a lot of time
studying on the floor I had my masterpiece. Well, at
least at the time it was a masterpiece to me.
Upon graduation, I
moved to my home state of Minnesota and began working in
a custom cabinet shop. I started at the bottom:
sanding doors and sweeping floors. After four years, I
knew I still loved working with wood, but wanted the
challenge of making furniture. I discovered the fine
craftsmen of Minneapolis’ 4th Street Guild
and asked, “Where do I go to learn to do what you do?”
Their answer: “Go to the mountain: the North Bennet
Street School in Boston." Moving back to New England, I
attended North Bennet Street School in Boston
Massachusetts where I learned to create true
masterpieces.
Recently, my wife and
I decided to move to Hanover, NH in order that our three
children could attend an area school. I found a new
shop space overlooking the Mascoma River in Lebanon,
NH. Moving the shop was a major undertaking. I'm happy
to say that I am now finally settled and back to work.
This past year was a busy one as I was able to create
furniture and deliver major cabinet projects, while
moving both my family and my shop.
I’ve maintained my
contacts and clients in the New Hampshire seacoast area
and look forward to expanding my client base in this new
location. My market area is growing as I have sent work
to Florida and New York City and have recently fielded
inquiries for work from places as far as London,
England.
I continue to work
with wood in ways that reflect my discovery of this
craft: I build cabinetry, bookshelves and built-ins
that satisfy that part of me that needs precision,
exactness and a solution to the puzzle. At the same
time, I am fortunate to receive commissions or have the
opportunity to design and construct beautiful pieces of
furniture that enable the inherited artistic voices in
me.
I
love my career for many reasons: I can be creative, I
love working with wood, and I thrive on the mathematical
challenges of custom designing and building furniture.
I especially love owning my own business in the business
I’m in for it allows me the flexibility to be an active
and involved parent to my three children. That, and I
get to say on a daily basis, “Papa made that!” |
