“Love the life you live.  Live the life you love.”
 
Bob Marley

Photo by Dennis Browne

Raised on a small farm in South Dakota, I was blessed with a strong appreciation for hard work and learning. My educational journey began in a one-room country school where I was the only kid in my class, and continued on to a private high school before I enrolled at South Dakota State University where I graduated with a degree in Agricultural Economics.

After working for a short time in the restaurant business in Southern CA, I got married and decided to pursue a career as a woodworker. I attended John O'Connell School of Technology in San Francisco, and while I considered becoming a luthier, I spent the next 30 years as a cabinetmaker, many of which were in management positions. During this time my wife and I raised a daughter and together we extensively remodeled all four of our homes including our current place on Whidbey Island in Washington's Puget Sound.

Ultimately I transitioned into selling hand-crafted art lighting and spent my free time improving our home and as a hobby farmer raising Scottish Highlander cows.

I’m now retired and am fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue my real passions in music, photography, and writing. My diverse background and experiences have shaped me into the person I am today, and I am grateful for every opportunity that has come my way.