I grew up on a farm in Berea, Kentucky. Everyone was expected to help, and everyone knew how to make things. We made most of the things we used around the farm, like soap, utensils, tools, furniture, quilts and clothing.
Craftsmanship of all kinds was valued and, although we were making things because we needed them, I always thought—why not make something beautiful, if you can?
Influences
Berea has a storied history of crafts.
Bybee Pottery has origins that date back to 1809, when they created dishware for nearly Fort Boonesborough. Craftsmen and women learned the art of the potter’s wheel and the science of glazing and the kiln.
Berea College, founded in 1855, was the first integrated, co-educational college in the South (and remains, to this day, tuition free.) Berea College has always supported local crafts and industry, and encourages the development of traditional arts such as ceramics, weaving, and wood crafts.
In the 1920’s, David and Eleanor Churchill established Churchill Weavers and introduced the region to the art of creating fine, hand-woven fabrics. They also created much needed jobs and new opportunities, particularly for local women who had few career options at the time.
Walter Cornelison,
Owner of Bybee Pottery
Churchill Weavers 
Historic Boone Tavern,
Berea College campus
New designs
I have been experimenting with new designs. I found an old fly blanket for horses at an antique store recently. I wanted to see if I could demonstrate the strength and utility of the leather straps in a dramatic way. I created a steel frame of a horse to display the horse blanket.
I created a wide fruit bowl carved from one solid piece of ash. The bowl went through the same blackening process I use for my wooden sculptures.
I’ve also been experimenting with translucent vellum to make light fixtures that reflect the beautiful soft flowing lines and shimmer of fish.
Horse Fly Blanket 
Ash Bowl