When I retired after 28 years as a forestry worker in southern Oregon I had already been creating kinetic art for 30 years. I got my start while attending college in Humboldt counties' beautiful Redwood forests and rocky coastlines. The artists during the early 70's in that community were all about natural wood carving and new creative endeavors. I started humbly creating complex mobiles of driftwood that I collected from the beaches. After school I moved to southern Oregon where I worked as a forestry technician with the BLM. During that time I continued to make mobiles, refining the process, adding gemstones, and sea shells. One year after retirement I was juried into the Lithia Artisans Market in Ashland, Oregon. Ashland is the home of a world famous Shakespeare Theatre Group as well as the art center for all of southern Oregon. As of 2017 I have been a member of this group for 9 years. Within the last few years I began doing extensive shaping and sanding of the driftwood which led to me to doing wood sculptures from slabs and blocks of wood. I still do some driftwood pieces but most of my energies go into creating designs, sculpting, and sanding pieces to a very fine finish. Generally speaking my work has become simplified and highly refined, the focus being on the beauty of the wood. The Pacific Northwest has some beautiful trees that make equally beautiful wood for art. My favorites are Maple burl, Oregon Myrtlewood, Redwood, Pacific Yew, and Manzanita.
In the summer of 2016 I made my self a small "Hobbit Like" shop to do my work and was amazed at how much effect that had on my ability to not only be creative but be more efficient and productive.
Needless to say I feel very fortunate to be doing something that I love so much and being able to share that with like minded souls who also see and enjoy the beautiful art that is in the natural world.