I
was born in 1969 and grew
up in a rural Creole community called Frilot Cove near
Opelousas
,
Louisiana
.
It’s the type of community where everyone worked together to
accomplish various
tasks. We had local mechanics, welders, plumbers, farmers, and
carpenters, just
to name a few of the crafts.
As a kid, I usually assisted my father,
grandfathers, and uncles with carpentry projects. There I was at the age of 6 on
construction
sites gathering small lumber cutoffs and assembling them in various
ways. Little did I
know at that time my love of
working with wood was being incubated. Through the years, school projects and
gift items usually
involved some
form of wood working.
Later
in life, I moved to
Baton Rouge
,
earned college
degrees, got married, and settled into a home with a large workshop in
the
backyard. With all
the new changes in my
life, my woodworking hobbies had gotten pushed to the side. I worked many jobs in the
medical field as a
therapist and in 1995 was laid off a job due to corporate downsizing. Between jobs, I returned
to my woodworking hobby
for comfort and peace of mind. At
that
time I had just the basic equipment, until my wife bought me a scroll
saw to
add to my collection. I
began collecting
other pieces of equipment including a table saw, a router, and a floor
demo
Craftsman wood lathe. It
was a super deal,
but I really had no inclination to ever turn wood. It sat on the floor
of my
shop collecting dust for almost a year until I decided to mount it on a
table
and give it a try. From
then on, I have
been hooked on turning. I had
finally found my destiny.
I
have pursued most areas
of woodworking, including carving, scroll sawing, marquetry, intarsia,
and furniture
design, construction and restoration. None
have been more satisfying than wood turning. I quickly began honing my
skills
with spindle turning, followed by pens and other kit items, which
proved to be
very lucrative through sales at local craft fairs. I then moved toward peppermills, clock
houses, vases, platters, and bowls. My designs reflect an appreciation
of the
diverse textures and colors that may be found naturally in nature's
design
studio. I tend to shy away from using stains and dyes to achieve color
scenarios. Thus, I
have collected over
100 different types of wood from around the world and use them in
harmony to
achieve different effects. Until March 2007, all of my turnings were
done on
that same Craftsman lathe. I
really
found out what woodturning was all about after purchasing the
Powermatic 3520B
which quickly opened up many new possibilities.
Also
in 2007, I found the
Woodturner’s Resource website and have been an active
participant ever
since. WR has been
very instrumental in
making me and this hobby complete through conversations with people
from around
the world who share the same interests and desires as I do. It is also
a very
helpful place to visit when I have problem solving and design
obstacles, and I
thank WR for being there for me. I
have
met many great people here and am sure to meet several more in the near
future. Viva WR!
I’ve
been turning for 12
years now, still essentially self-taught, and I still get excited when
I sling wood
curls half way across the shop. I
am
still intrigued every time I cut into a block of wood, especially those
with lots
of figure. I have
learned that the “art”
lies in the natural grain patterns that are unique to each species, as
fingerprints are to people. I
truly think
of this craft as encouraging the wood to express itself and think of
myself as
a wood therapist. I love to make functional pieces that stimulate the
senses
and are a pleasure to use.
Currently,
I am exploring
hollow forms, boxes, and large bowls. My
desire is to create more intricate pieces using my combined skills of
design, turning,
carving, and finishing. I
am a member of
Acadiana Woodturner’s Club and the American Association of
Woodturners.
I
still live in
Baton
Rouge
with my wife,
Donna, and 2 sons, Leo III and Julian.
To view more
examples of my
work, please visit my website at: www.perfectwoodworks.com |
