About Me

I love wood. I love the beautiful grain patterns. I love the smell of the wood dust when grinding or sanding. My middle name is Holt ( and my mother's maiden name), and comes from the German word for wood - Holz. My grandfather Holt was of German descent and worked with woods making utilitarian items on his lathe. I spent several summers, and my first grade year, living with my grandparents and spending time in his wood shop. Woodworking may be in my DNA, both literally and figuratively.

I started sculpting wood with the traditional tools - hammers and chisels. But in my current work, I can't achieve the textural contrasts that I want with the traditional tools, so I now use high speed die grinders and carbide burrs to achieve the contrast. With the high speed carbide burrs, the densest woods cut like a spoon through custard; and the aroma of the dust flying in my face is fantastic.

If you're interested in knowing a bit more about my art, or how I became involved in sculpting wood, feel free to browse any of the links below.