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Historic Oak Clock

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A few years ago, the UU Church of Nashua started significant renovations.  A multi century oak in front of the church (that was becoming sick) was removed and some of the wood was milled.  Also during the renovation project, components of the ancient heating system were replaced with more modern, efficient components.  Unfortunately one of those components was a gloriously ornate heating grate. I was lucky enough to get some pieces of that oak and I decided I wanted to preserve the design of that grate that people walked across for literally a century or more.  In spite of my allergic reactions when I work with oak, I came up with a design for a clock.  This piece will be gifted to the church on it's 200th anniversary on September 27, 2026. 2026 oak, polychromed, polyurethane finish, mechanical components.  Installed at the UU Church of Nashua NH.
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Swamp Dragon woodcut

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I'm still making articulated little dragons, and this design came from one of them I positioned on a decorative mushroom. The woodcut was in pine and it's hand painted with acrylics.
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2025 Holiday Ornaments

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Late last night I finished this year's ornaments, Santa on a scroll representing The List.  Each August I work out a design and have the blanks cut by Labor Day so I can carve them during Dracut's Old Home Day event in September.  This year's event was interrupted by high winds and rain and we were sent home.  I didn't get as much done as I hoped and I ran a little bit behind. I was being hard on myself about it, but then I recall that the tradition of trading ornaments with the late M. Paul Ward was started one year when I ran behind and didn't have the ornaments finished until the 23rd. 2025 Eastern White Pine.  Polychromed and finished with rub-on polyurethane.
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Apple wood whiskey smoker

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A colleague was talking with me about a smoked whiskey he had recently.  I did a little research and built two of them.  The apple wood I used was pretty tortured after sitting out front of my local lumberyard for a long time.  The piece was barely a board, more of a slab, grey and checked.  Who knew about the wonderful figure underneath.  For the colleague who suggested it, I built a kit with instructions, spare filters, and two types of chips (oak and apple)  2025 Apple wood
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There be dragons here!

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Inspired by the art of  Vivian Rosalee , I designed an articulated dragon.  The tail is segmented, the wings flap and the legs move. 2025 Basswood and brass wire, polychromed, polyurethane finish
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Gruss von Krampus!

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  Krampus  is a figure in Alpine folklore that is sort of an anti-Santa Claus.   Melanie Christopher of  Still Dead Art  is a very talented illustrator and I have several of her prints in my personal collection.  I ran into her again vending at a holiday fair and after adding a few more of her prints to my collection I started thinking of a carving inspired by her illustration of Krampus. The morning I completed the carving, Krampus and I celebrated with a tasty holiday beer at  Navigation Brewing Checking the fit of the individual parts:  Exploded view of all the components after woodburning, painting, and finishing. 2024 Recycled Eastern White Pine, recycled leather.  Woodburned and polychromed with a polyurethane finish.
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2024 Holiday Ornaments completed

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 I completed the Thanksgiving week which is the earliest completion date in recent memory.  I waited to post them until I started distributing them. Making the ornaments is the continuation of a decades old tradition for me of exchanging ornaments with the late M. Paul Ward.   2024 Recycled Eastern White Pine, polychromed.
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