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I grew up in Yakima Washington, dad was always working on something from building decks, fences to finishing the basement.  I would build go carts, boats that didn't float and always taking his tools, I even got a bag of nails for Christmas one year.  I enjoyed working with wood and took woodshop throughout high school, nobody touched the wood lathe. I  then joined the Marines out of high school.  After the Marines I lived in Phoenix for 12 years in an apartment and didn't get the chance to do any woodwork, just a lot of rock collecting.
 
In 2001 we moved back to Yakima, bought a house with a garage and started building my shop the first weekend.  In June of 05 my wife bought me my first lathe for her birthday (yes her birthday)  something she says she regrets, but I know better.  The first lathe was a Delta midi that I had for six months, in four months I was turning too large bowls with it and watched it walk across the shop more than once.  December 05 picked up a Jet 1442 that I had for a year before finally settling down with my Powermatic 3520B.  I searched the net on anything I could find to help with my turning, found WR and have never left.  I believe I am twice as advanced as I would be without WR for assistance, ideas and friends.
 
My turning tastes change constantly and I get bored turning the same type of object for more than a couple weeks.  Early on it was bowls and platters, then boxes and after that hollow forms.  I have worked with natural edge, dye, inlay and such to keep doing something new to me.  I will turn hollow forms for a week or two, then switch to something else, only to come back to hollow forms a couple months later when the urge is back.  I don't have a signature style, but at 43 I have many years to find what I do best.  My strengths at this point are looking at a piece and getting the most out of it being shape, form and how I can maximize it's potential.
 
Almost a year ago I found a site by Max Krimmel about turning Alabaster and thought I could take my love of turning and add to that my fascination with rock collecting.  To this point I have turned many types of Soapstone, Alabaster, and Calcite.  I have found this to be a totally different type of turning to enjoy that has helped keep my passion of turning to not weaken over time.  I have taken what I have learned from wood turning and brought that style to my stone turnings, an example would be my natural edge bowls and vase made in Alabaster.
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Spalted Maple Hollow Form

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14" Catalpa Bowl

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Maple Hollow Form with Bark Inclusion

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14" Maple Platter Dyed

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East Indian Soapstone

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Pink Alabaster

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Stone

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Translucent Alabaster Natural Edge Bowl

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Calcite with Purple Heart Segmented Vase

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Natural Edge Black Locust Burl