I have been working with wood for 30 years. I was trained at Sturt School for Wood in Mittagong. Initially, I followed the “craftsman” route by learning artisan skills to produce everyday, practical items such as boxes, chairs, tables, cabinets and the like.
Whilst this was satisfying – and necessary to achieve craft skills- I wanted to move to a more creative space and develop other forms, particularly non rectilinear, and to introduce other materials such as aluminium nails and Perspex.
The organic nature of wood, its colours, densities, growth patterns, smells, textures and its tactile qualities all contributed to my love of the material.
The never-ending learning of new techniques, experimentation with different methods and the hands–on approach contributed to my passion.
“Designing and making and risk taking are all part of the same thing. Creativity is fundamentally a high-risk activity. It demands that we destroy as much as we create. Having to specify things way out ahead is too safe a way of going about it"