Influences

I have studied art, sculpture and chairmaking. My apprenticeship in chairmaking was in Upshur County, West Virginia, where I learned to build what is locally known as a "Linger" chair. This Early American design was used by Waitman T. Linger, who made chairs in Upshur County from the 1880's through 1950. I now build chairs in a "Shaker-inspired" style, in addition to a rustic "twig" style, which allows for more sculptural innovation. Interestingly, Linger also built chairs in this style at the turn of the century, when Rustic was previously in vogue.

I use a blend of traditional and modern techniques, evident in the variety of talents I have developed: handturning on the lathe, steam-bending slats, assembling the chairs using interlocking mortice and tenon greenwood joinery, finishing the wood, and harvesting and weaving hickory bark into seats.

Teaching

My first teaching experience was in 1992 at the Cedar Lakes Craft Center in Ripley, WV. Aside from the rewards of working with an enthusiastic group of students, I discovered that teaching helped me improve my own work, making me more aware of the creative process involved in chairmaking. I look forward to each teaching experience as a chance not only to pass on traditional chairmaking techniques, but also as a chance to improve myself as an artist. I have been teaching at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV since 1994 and have taught four apprentices through the WV Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program, sponsored by the Augusta Heritage Center. I have also taught at the Basketry School in Cloe, WV and Country Workshops in Marshall, NC. In addition, I teach two and three day intensive workshops at my studio in Rock Cave, WV.