TEACHERS, MENTORS, AND EDUCATION
There are people who have imprinted so deeply on my "making psyche" that whenever I start a process, they remind me how to work smart.  Whether it was ways to relax before a nerve racking cut, or ways to think about a problem at hand, most of what I know I've learned from others. This is a tribute to those individuals and institutions.Â
In no particular order.
TOM DOLESE
Terra Firma Design
Tom taught me something that is quite hard to do: be patient.  Tom lives and works with his wife in Bellingham, WA. He owns a wood shop and teaches there as well. His quiet, thoughtful approach to chair making reduces the complexity that comes with having multiple compound angles. If you ever want a "work-cation," I know he runs chair making classes and I would highly recommend a trip to Bellingham.
SETH ROLLAND
Seth has an amazing ability to see the beauty in the world. From his raw rock centerpiece tables to his experimentation into wood steaming, Seth is able to bend the possibilities of what I thought was possible. He is a surgeon with a band-saw.  I think of Seth all the time. Not only does he create pieces that are both honest to the material and push their limits, but also he refers to screws as "helical steel tenons." Seth is an articulate gifted maker who I am grateful to have learned from.
SPENCER BARNARD
Resident- Inside Passage
Spencer is the embodiment of joie de vivre and reminds me to have fun. Spencer is a bee in a shop, buzzing from corner to corner, fixing machines, sharpening tools and creating masterpieces like the one below.  When Spencer saw someone doing something a little bit wrong he had the sweetest Canadian way of asking if you'd like a suggestion. Having started his making career only two years before I met him in 2017, he is one of the fastest learners, expertly explaining how to sharpen chisels, make wooden hand planes, knives,  rope from bark, and the basic how to's in black-smithing.  Spencer can learn to make anything and he is brilliant and talented enough to do so.
ROBERT VAN NORMAN
Head Teacher- Inside Passage
Robert established Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking as his teacher, mentor and most importantly friend, James Krenov, was passing away. The program is an educational residency in Krenov's methods and style. From approaching dimensioning stock as Krenov would have to listening to recordings of Krenov, Robert's love for the work and process is contagious, and the his shop is a makers heaven. His attention to detail and continued desire to keep students' work up to Krenov's standard has created one of the greatest compilations of hand made student work I've seen.
RAYMOND LAUDURGS
Painter
Raymond was my first boss. I painted houses with him and he taught me how to see: the difference between a lamb skin roller and a basic run of the mill foam roller. Raymond can cut a ceiling faster than I could roll it. He taught me how to take your work seriously but still have fun. He taught me what ones reputation meant. We worked all over Southern California, as fast as we could. But sometimes the job would take longer than planned. Ray taught me, in those situations, you can't rush a job, and we'd be back there the next day. Even if it hurt his bottom line and delayed other projects, because the quality of his work was tied to his reputation, and a job well done, is a job well done.
