I am fortunate in having
discovered very early that my love of
working with wood could be cultivated into a way to make a living. At age 19 I
took a job at a player piano factory, where the owner of the
factory gave me a valuable gift that changed my life's
direction. The player piano factory was the hobby of a
California lawyer who loved machinery. He had a large building
full of 19th century woodworking machines driven by
a working steam engine that he fired up once a year to put all
of the antique machines through their paces. There were modern
machines at the piano company as well, and I was encouraged to
learn about any and all of them that inspired me.
The owner of the factory was always available to answer my questions, and to suggest new projects for me to explore. During the 5 years that I worked there, I got a good basic understanding of woodworking, metal machining, brazing, plastics, adhesives, fasteners, engineering, and manufacturing. Thanks to this man, I have been free to discover and pursue my own passion.
Working in small cabinet shops until 1992, I then turned to full time self-employment.
I explored several options, including making hang gliding equipment and building airplanes, before realizing that working with wood was my true passion. My first experience with turning wood was in 1984, when I made a pair of chairs with turned spindles. Woodturning continued to be one of my many hobbies
until I made it my full time occupation in 1998.
The owner of the factory was always available to answer my questions, and to suggest new projects for me to explore. During the 5 years that I worked there, I got a good basic understanding of woodworking, metal machining, brazing, plastics, adhesives, fasteners, engineering, and manufacturing. Thanks to this man, I have been free to discover and pursue my own passion.
Working in small cabinet shops until 1992, I then turned to full time self-employment.
I explored several options, including making hang gliding equipment and building airplanes, before realizing that working with wood was my true passion. My first experience with turning wood was in 1984, when I made a pair of chairs with turned spindles. Woodturning continued to be one of my many hobbies
until I made it my full time occupation in 1998.
Life as a self-employed
woodturner is not without difficulty. On this journey I
continue to experience my strengths and weaknesses; the
greatest struggle for me has been with self-confidence.
A tremendous source of strength and inspiration has been my life-partner
David Nittmann, whose support and encouragement has helped me to grow
as an artist and as a person.
My work has been chosen for exhibitions around the country, and has appeared in several magazines and books. I am an active member of the American Association of Woodturners, and demonstrate my woodturning techniques at national symposiums and local clubs. Through my instructional DVD/videos, I am able to share my passion for woodturning with the entire community.
My home and studio are in Boulder, Colorado. David and I are "Staff" to three cats, Raja, Carter, and the Sprit of Wiley-O, who keep us busy when we are not gardening or running in the neighboring mountain parks.
A tremendous source of strength and inspiration has been my life-partner
David Nittmann, whose support and encouragement has helped me to grow
as an artist and as a person.
My work has been chosen for exhibitions around the country, and has appeared in several magazines and books. I am an active member of the American Association of Woodturners, and demonstrate my woodturning techniques at national symposiums and local clubs. Through my instructional DVD/videos, I am able to share my passion for woodturning with the entire community.
My home and studio are in Boulder, Colorado. David and I are "Staff" to three cats, Raja, Carter, and the Sprit of Wiley-O, who keep us busy when we are not gardening or running in the neighboring mountain parks.