Inspiration

Outside the grocery store where I grew up sat a coin operated horse. Not always did our parents have the money to make it go, but that did not stop us from climbing on the saddle. Holding onto the reins I remember kicking my heels back and riding as far as I could before my siblings or some other kid would want their turn. It was always a let down to walk away from that horse.

It didn’t last long for once inside, with mom’s permission I would head to the aisle where the comic books waited on their revolving metal rack. I would search through the ones I had already read until I found a new one. Sitting on the floor became engrossed in the lives of Sgt Rock and the Howling Commandos, Superman, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Turok, Archie, Richie Rich. You name it I probably read it. Or at least looked at all the pictures. More often then not mom would let me pick one out to take home.

Fast forward to 2012. Change of career and enrollment into the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building. Embers that had once lay dormant were fanned by NWSWB Instructors. One of the boats our class built in 2013 was used in a BBC recreation of John Wesley Powell’s trip down the Grand Canyon.

It didn’t stop there. In 2018 I was fortunate to be on a team from the boat school to spend three months in Tasmania building a sailboat for the 2019 Australian Wooden Boat Festival. One of the many artisan/boat builders I met there was Ned Trewartha. A cherished Huon pine Rosella he carved sits on our mantle.

I am inspired by artisans, the natural world, and memories. I draw out ideas on bits of recycled paper. Along with timber I have a sundry of boat parts filling my shop. I free hand the image I have in my mind onto a piece of wood. No templates or tracings are used. These truly are one of a kind pieces. As needed I cut the timber on a bandsaw to the desired size and start carving with a knife I got as a present from my parents one Christmas. Except for music its a fairly quiet place to be.

Thank you for stopping by.

Steve