Working with solid wood seemed like an obvious choice for me: I grew up on the West Coast, and much of my family’s history is tied to the natural materials that come from this area. I have always believed that people have a strong connection to solid wood, and wanted to build forms that would allow them to access and connect to this ancient material.

When I first began to work with Cedar and Douglas Fir, I created clean and simple silhouettes that stood on their own - no joinery, knobs or embellishments. To my surprise, people were not only drawn to these pieces for their aesthetic quality, but for the experience it afforded them. For example, one woman sat on a cedar bench I had carved, and ran her hand along the top. She was quiet for a moment, and then remarked that the bench reminded her of time spent with her grandfather when she was a little girl. For her, the Saddle bench provided an opportunity to reconnect to a memory she had of her grandfather. I also feel the Solids collection contains meaning embedded deep below its surface.