Bio: After a stint in the U. S. Army and earning a BS from the University of Illinois, I worked as a park ranger with the National Park Service for several years. In 1969 I began a 20-year career with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in California. Upon my retirement, I was employed as an investigator in the defense industry, finally calling it quits in 1997.
My wife, Janice, and I had spent part of two vacations in the Ozarks and found that we loved the mountains, lakes, forests and people. We both knew that this is where we wanted to be and we now live in the small town of Lakeview, just a few miles west of Mountain Home, Arkansas.
I’ve been turning wood for about 20 years, but those familiar with irregular work hours and long commutes know that there is not much spare time left for hobbies. Since retirement though, I can usually be found in my shop, which is a real mess, working on the lathe.
I do love to collect my wood, but I rarely cut a living tree. It is not that I am philosophically opposed to harvesting trees; it is just that there is so much wood in this area that is discarded as a worthless nuisance that it is really un-necessary. Often after a storm, I will throw my chain saw into the back of my pickup truck and drive around the community to see what has blown down. Nearly all of my work is from trees brought down by storms or which were removed by city crews for one reason or another and were to be burned.
I’m sorry to say that wood turning has not revealed the meaning of life or disclosed any of the deep philosophical insights that some have experienced while practicing their art. But, I do enjoy the sound of the tools cutting into the wood blank and watching the ever-changing patterns in the wood as the waste is cut away. The feel of the surface of a well-designed and finished piece can be an almost sensual experience.
And, of course, it is also very gratifying when you find that someone liked your work enough to actually pay money for it.
