I was born and raised in Cleveland Park and I am proud to be a Washingtonian. My parents moved here from the deep south in 1968 and soon after my father began teaching drawing and painting at the Corcoran School of Art. He's been a professional artist pretty much all of his life and I consider myself very fortunate to have grown up in such a creative environment.
In 1991 I enrolled in the Corcoran's BFA program with a focus on mixed media sculpture. I fell in love with working creatively with different materials, primarily wood and metal, but also with a wide variety of other media including concrete, fabric and glass. During my junior year I designed and built a couple of furniture pieces. I have always admired both functional craft and fine art, so I shifted my focus and started to build mixed media furniture with a sculptural twist. After graduating, I took two years to continue the focus on furniture.
In 1997 I left DC for Providence where I endured two challenging and intense years at the Rhode Island School of Design for an MFA in Furniture Design. I returned to DC in 1999 where I quickly found myself confronted with the realities of life outside of art school. Luckily, I started working in a small group shop for a talented furniture maker named John Swartz. In those two years of hands on experience I learned an incredible amount about fine woodworking.
In 2001 I went out on my own and joined forces with a number of other woodworkers and cabinetmakers to form a co-op in Hyattsville, Maryland. Since then I have worked on a number of custom commissions for a variety of clients. I live in Columbia Heights with my wife and two rambunctious daughters Simone and Rowan.
I would be happy to talk to you about any ideas that you may have for your home or business.