Mike

Hello family, friends, followers, fans, and freaks!!

   I'm a fourth-generation woodworker who finds happiness when involved in the creative process. I love every step in the process, from brainstorming ideas with the client to the rough sketch with pencil and paper, selecting the perfect materials from a number of trusted suppliers, making the first cut, shooting the last nail, and finishing that last stroke with the finish. I love attempting to foresee construction issues before they arise, and when issues ultimately arise, I enjoy the opportunity to find a solution. As I engage in the creative process, I continually try to find ways in which the client will take greater pleasure in their piece. Working the material is almost zen-like and therapeutic in nature. I was fortunate to grow up in a woodshop. Some of my earliest memories involve my grandfather's shop behind the garage, and my dad's first "shop" which was a 10 X 10 shed in the backyard. A few nails, a hammer, and a stack of scrap wood, and I would keep myself busy for hours. As a kid (about 6), moving into a new house, my dad took a section of the basement, and rather than make a standard room, he made a woodshop. I remember hauling a lot of lumber down those stairs, and a lot of completed project back up those same stairs. Thinking this was normal behavior, I thought it weird when I would go to any of my friends' houses only to find that they did not have a dedicated woodshop. Throughout my childhood through high school, there was always a dedicated woodshop in my life. After high school, I joined the military, went to college, and started taking the steps in life necessary to build a future. With this, I was "too busy" to play with wood and tools. After a few years away for any real shop time, I began my career in the criminal justice profession. Starting in corrections and eventually patrolling the streets as a sheriff's deputy, and with working toward two master's degrees, I knew I needed a creative, positive outlet for stress management. It was with being given a table saw as a Christmas gift, from my parents, that I was reminded of my passion for woodcraft. The first moment I flipped the switch and make my first cut on a scrap piece of 2X4 found in the yard, I was hooked once again. For over the last 20-some years, my woodshop has been my therapist, my church, my studio, and my place for reflecting on life. Thank you for your support.