I, like many others, first turned a bowl in a Junior High school shop class. I’ve worked with wood in one way or another since. My father was also a woodworker, passing his passion for the art and craft on to me. I studied technical theatre and art in college, designing and building scenery and props for stage productions. I spent 17 years working in community theatres and the University of Michigan building and teaching students to build scenery. I spent a hiatus working solely on discovering turning techniques and creating kaleidoscopes, puzzles, bowls, lace bobbins, tops, pens, and mushroom boxes. I have also turned my hand to building Arts & Crafts and Shaker style furniture. A Master degree in Historic Preservation led me to a position as Facility Director for the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Turning continues to be what I like best. I have filled many trash cans with wood shavings. I saw Christian Burchard demonstrate making wood spheres at the Akron American Association of Woodturners Symposium and promptly went home and tried to duplicate his techniques and failed. I came back to it several years later. I persevered and succeeded. That was about 100 spheres ago. The sphere is a shape that is fun to hold and presents the beauty of the natural wood. Surface decoration adds another whole dimension to be explored. Turning spheres provides endless variety and satisfaction.