I seem to spend considerable amounts of time in my solar studio, indulging in my passion, woodturning. Where else would one be while enjoying their favorite hobby with a kitchen, bathroom, cable TV, and all the comforts of home. All this within sight of the beautiful Skyline Drive, located in the National Park at Front Royal, Virginia. It is no wonder that I am inspired by my surroundings. I think that Virginia is blessed with an abundance of spectacular species of hardwoods. I can walk out the door and find the next bowl waiting to be turned.

Nestled in a hardwood forest, consisting primarily of oaks, poplars and hickories, the windows in my studio offer spectacular vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Each season presents an ever-changing pallete of colors that renew and bring peace to the spirit. Many animals, including deer, black bear, and wild turkey, flourish in the surrounding woods. Even the occasional personal visit from the groundhog and fox is not unheard of here. In this atmosphere, my creative juices are flowing with the urge to create unique one-of-a-kind artistic endeavors.

In November of 2004, I attended the David Ellsworth school. Master woodturner, David Ellsworth led students, step by step, through the usage of his remarkably efficient and versatile bowl gouge. David has been woodturning since 1973, and it was clear that his goal was to help the students learn the intracacies of his techniques. Ellsworth illustrated the fundamentals of gouge design that included the whys as well as the hows and gave important guidelines for correct body and hand positions when using his tool. He also taught how to sharpen the gouge by hand as well as using the Ellsworth Sharpening Jig.
Recent Events
April 23, 2005, I spent the day at the Red Bud Festival in Browntown, Virginia, displaying and selling my woodturned art, as you can see by the photo. As it was indoors, it was not as brightly lit as outside, but I had many people stop by, looking and enjoying my art, and of course, purchasing what they couldn't part without.
	During the weekend of September 10-11, 2005, I presented my woodturning art at the Colorscape Festival in upstate Norwich, New York, where I was awarded First Price in the Wood Category.

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