As a kid I was always a maker fussing in my parent’s basement making things out of wood. My parents’ examples of living defined much of who I am for passion for work, life and the constant desire to create in any form.

When I was about 11 years old, I visited Wharton Esherick’s home and studio. This defined for me what I wanted to be and the course of my interest in woodworking was set.  My material of choice is wood. Woodworking for me defines the creative process from start to finish. A material that is nature, in its beauty, its smell and texture ever changing and always a challenge to work. 

I was in my teens when my parents again reset the course of my life. My mother, the artist, introduced me to painting vacations along the coast of Maine. This introduction to Maine was much like the visit to Esherick’s studio.  They were profound experiences. A kid from the suburbs of Philadelphia just wanted to live in Maine and be a woodworker.

Although I do not currently live in Maine, Maine is where my heart is.  Having resettled in Bucks County I have found community in work, and the wood community. It is this combined passion of craft, space and community that I am at the point to understand my creative voice and be able to present my work as a creative expression.

In my personal creative work and professional work as General Manager of George Nakashima Woodworker, I have been able to combine my passion for woodworking, management, preservation, and non-profit work. When I am not working on the shop or managing one, I am still closely tied to the tree while in the woods of Maine tapping old maples and making maple syrup in the spring in Bucks County.