Am I an object maker?
Recently, a mentor of mine said I am a furniture maker, not an object maker. That statement helped me realize that I have started identifying more as an object maker than a furniture maker. I love exploring design and form while creating objects because they are small and you can iterate on the design easily or refine your design while making duplicates.
The Stargazer
2025 | Steam Bent Oak Frame & Oak Veneers & Brass Rod Inlay with India Ink and Osmo Finish | 15" x 15" x 1.5"
Looking at the stars always brings me in direct connection with my mom. My mom has always been drawn to a night time sparkle for as long as I can remember. A glint of light in the dark, always finding hope in difficult times.
As a kid, I remember star gazing with my mom at the beach. My mom has always been a night owl. Even now, she still stays up too late, and loves it, the way she laughs in the face of a traditional bedtime is one of my favorite things about her. I cherished the times she shared that precious night time with me looking at the stars, on trips to the beach or even at home in our backyard in Atlanta. It made me feel like an adult, an astronomer, an explorer. I created the stargazer tray for her as a gift to thank her for all the times we spent together looking upwards marveling at night sky. Each sparkle is a single inlaid piece of brass rod. I wanted the sky to be black so I used India Ink to blacken the white oak. I love the contrast between the two.
Rocket Pencil Holders
2016 | Walnut, Poplar | Osmo Finish and Milk Paint | 5” x 5” x 4"
The rocket pencil holders are out of this world! A fun design exploration, featuring a coopered walnut vessel supported by hand cut plywood legs, creates a form reminiscent of a space ship. Milk paint was used to add red accents.
Scientific Inspired Coasters
2016 | Various Woods, Laser Engraved & Osmo Finish | 3.5” x 3.5” x 1/4"
These coasters are inspired by patterns seen in nature. The images include a close up of a dragon fly wing, a microscopic image of neural pathways in the brain, the microscopic image of walnut, and the topographic map of tcha Timanwi (Mary's Peak) in Corvallis, Oregon. Designs were created in Adobe Illustrator and laser engraved.
Topographic Tea Boxes
2016 | Various Woods, Laser Engraved & Osmo Finish | 8” x 6” x 4"
These tea boxes utilize mostly local Pacific Northwest woods, including western maple, black walnut, and cherry. The topographic map is of tcha Timanwi (Mary's Peak) in Corvallis, Oregon. Designs were created in Adobe Illustrator and laser engraved.
Coopered Vessels
2016 | Various Woods & Osmo Finish | Various Sizes
This group of objects all utilize a coopering technique to join the pieces of wood together to create a singular form. After learning this technique at Anderson Ranch, I was inspired to explore form within this design constraint iterating on the size and shape.
Veneered Trays
2016 | Cherry and Walnut, Burl Veneers | 17” x 9” x 3"
These trays were completed during my apprenticeship with Pat Megowan, using local Pacific Northwest woods, madrone, curly western maple, cherry and walnut. Hidden handcut joinery connects the tray forms, and is paired with the veneered bottoms.
