Etsy

While attending high school, just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, I was lucky to have a great woodshop instructor. Mr. Porowski was very approachable, extremely detail-oriented and a well-seasoned veteran of the classroom. The best "tool" in his shop- challenging me to succeed when I proposed a project.

I created my first chessboard (1964) in woodshop class, followed by a large maple bowl. (That early turned piece still sits on our kitchen shelf, to this very day.) I've loved working with wood ever since.

For almost 30 years my career centered around computers, while my working with wood became a "hobby" as a result of owning, restoring and repairing old houses. (My wife, Rita, and I share a great love and appreciation for historic architecture!)

After leaving the corporate world, Rita and I became full time innkeepers, having purchased Cedar Crest Inn, one of Asheville, North Carolina's earliest bed and breakfasts. In 2004, I needed to replace a large turned support on the veranda, originally fabricated by German artisans in 1891. That's how I got back into working with wood, after nearly 4 decades.

Now retired, I have created Wightwood Workshop, returning to my roots and once again making chessboards, bowls, wall hangings and candlesticks, as I explore new concepts and designs. I love to turn a chuck of wood and discover what object is hidden within.