blog

devotion

Devotion is a piece that was commissioned by some clients who had recently learned about sinker cypress.  Back in the day cypress trees were felled and the logs were tied into rafts and floated to the sawmills.

Dreamliner Barstool

This design was inspired by the engine cowling on a Boeing Dreamliner I saw on the tarmac as I landed in San Francisco after having taught in New Zealand for 9 weeks.  The cowling had these beautiful, graceful arches, called 'chevrons,' and they are for noise suppression.

Spiral Wall Mirror

This wall mirror was built as a companion piece to a bench I created for a client to fit into a small area in her entryway.  Since the walnut had been harvested off of her property I knew that the wood had special meaning to her.

The Story of Toujours

This piece came about at the request of a client who asked me to make a box to house the ashes of a beloved pet.  As I was designing I wanted the piece to reflect the love, comfort and companionship our pets provide and the ways they enrich our lives.  From the top the box is a stylized representation of a pet with its tail wrapped around its body. 

Live Edge Shelves

The design of this shelving unit was inspired by the geometric paintings of Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist known for his abstract color-block paintings.  Using Mondrian as a guide I designed a piece that would have various sized cubbies (real and implied) that would hold a diverse range of glassware.  This is one of two projects requested by a client who had a walnut tree taken down off of her property.

L’anthologie de l’amour

This piece came to life during dinner and drinks as friends were talking about a special way to present the notes and well-wishes from wedding guests to a soon-to-be bride and groom.  We talked and shared ideas and soon l’anthologie de l’amour was born.
Triptych boxes, 4 ¼” x 2 ¾” x 2 ¾”, 5 ½” x 3 ⅜” x 3 ⅜”, 6 ¾” x 4 ⅛” x 4 ⅛” materials: redwood burl, rosewood

Ben’s Tryptich Boxes

This piece came about at the request of a client who asked me to make him a box with the instructions to ‘go be creative.’ He rarely uses the boxes I make, instead preferring them to be adornments in his home.
underside of custom helix bench, material: walnut harvested from the client’s property embellishments: steam-bent components

Helix Bench

This bench was created at the request of a client who wanted a bench to fit into a small area in her entryway. Since the walnut had been harvested off of her property I knew that the wood had special meaning to her.
lid details, heirloom treasure box made of reclaimed southern yellow pine

Ben’s Triad Box

The Triad box was created at the request of a client who wanted a box made with lumber that was salvaged from a building in North Kansas City.
octogon box, 11″ x 11″ x 4.5″ materials: unknown burl, blistered big leaf maple

octagon box

This box was created at the request of a client who wanted an octagonal box made from two different types of wood that he had given me — blistered big leaf maple and a redwood burl.
heirlook box with a vase on top, 13″ x 7″ x 4″ materials: unknown burl, blistered big leaf maple

frustum box

This box was created at the request of a client who recently had some lumber milled. He wanted something pretty to look at while I was working on a longer-term project for him. This is a design I had been wanting to try for awhile so I was pleased to have the opportunity to make it.
Closed Pyramid box

pyramid box

This box came about at the request of a client who asked me to make him a pyramid. The wood is a mystery burl from a veneer mill that had gone out of business about a decade ago.
custom side table made of redwood burl, reclaimed ebonized mulberry

dichotomy table

This table came about at the request of a client who asked me to make him a table with some wood he recently had milled. The wood was a mystery burl from a veneer mill that had gone out of business about a decade before.
detailed view of custom table, made from bamboo and ebonized ash

showing new work!

i’ll be in the wallace engineering building at 1741 mcgee from 5-9pm showing new work during tomorrow’s first friday. should be a great evening to get out and look at art!
hand mirror back view

hickory #3

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. I believe it creates more of a bond between the owner and the object if the backstory of a piece is known. This is the story of how this mirror came into being…
close up view of hand mirror

ash #2

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. I believe it creates more of a bond between the owner and the object if the backstory of a piece is known. This is the story of how this mirror came into being…

welcome

‘Welcome’ is a wall sculpture with a shelf designed to hold a single, special object. It had started out as my interpretation of a cabinet. I wanted to challenge what we think of when we think of a cabinet but even in my wildest, most minimalist imaginings I can’t consider this a cabinet.

walnut #1

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. I believe it creates more of a bond between the owner and the object if the backstory of a piece is known. This is the story of how this mirror came into being…

tethered

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. This is the story of how this sycamore box came into being…

horizon

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. This is the story of how this walnut box came into being…

embrace

The top for the table is a study in nature and nurture. The overall shape is that of a redbud leaf, which is one of the first things to turn green in the spring in Missouri (nature) and the crescent graphic that I created in the veneer is evocative of an embrace (nurture).

innocence

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. This is the story of how this mulberry box came into being…

gravity

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. This is the story of how this walnut box came into being…

bubbly

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. This is the story of how this sycamore box came into being…

nautilus

For me as an artist, the story behind a piece is almost as important as the piece itself. This is the story of how this mulberry box came into being…

daisy

This table is one in a series where I am exploring the relationship between repeated strong graphic shapes, negative space and the illusion of pieces hovering away from each other.

enchantment #2

This table is one in a series where I am exploring the relationship between repeated strong graphic shapes, negative space and the illusion of pieces hovering away from each other.

joyous

This table is the latest in a series where I am exploring the relationship between repeated strong graphic shapes, negative space and the illusion of pieces hovering away from each other.

enchantment #1

This table is one in a series where I am exploring the relationship between repeated strong graphic shapes, negative space and the illusion of pieces hovering away from each other.

demilune (untitled)

This demilune table is my contemporary take on the classic wall table. It features walnut burl veneer over solid walnut edging and sycamore inlay. It has a waterfall edge with radial walnut veneer.

interested in commissioning a piece for your collection?

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