Crafts,
particularly arms and and armor, are my passion. My introduction to
arms and armor was through fantasy, particularly
classics like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, as well as the works of
Loyd Alexander. Living near NYC and traveling in Europe, I had the
opportunity to see real arms and armor up close. I decided sometime in
high school that I needed a sword and some armor, just in case. So with some
advice from my family and a copy of "Arms and Armor of the Medieval
Knight," I started to build them.
In college (Rutgers University,
Chemistry), I quickly got involved in medieval reenactment through the SCA
and Markland. I continued to explore various crafts and had the privilage of meeting many skilled craftspeople in graduate school
(Columbia University, Earth Science) and while living in Dallas, Texas. Somewhere along the way I also picked up an interest in growing food. I now live in southeast Pennsylvania.
I think of crafts foremost as a practical endeavor, as well
as a form of sculpture. In
all my efforts, I try to employ careful
craftsmanship and conservative use of resources; I incorporate recycled
materials extensively in my work. While I do most of my work for
family and friends, I occasionaly accept commissions, so if you are
thinking of a project for
which my skills seem appropriate, feel free to drop me a line.
"What advantage the carpenter of Nazareth gathered from his bench, is
the inheritance of every workman, in proportion as he does divine that
is, honest work."
- George MacDonald, "There and Back"