Designs in Wood and String

Here's a pic of me and Butch Cassidy.  He's my supervisor and as you can see he really watches over my work. 

My Business

I have a  water color painting of a barn in the country with mountains in the background that my wife and I have titled "Chris's Studio".   For now though my studio shares space in the basement with our laundry facilities.  I also rent out space on the dining room table which means we eat our meals in the living room a lot!  I'd like to get that barn studio sometime so I could really expand what I do.

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Who I Am

My name is Chris and I'm 64.  Since I was a kid I enjoyed making things.  Back then it was soapbox cars and as I got older I took "shop" courses in school. 

When I was 17 I enlisted in the United States Army.  I served stateside for about a year and about 22 months in Germany.  I am very proud of the service I performed for my country. 

 When I returned home one thing I knew was I wanted to work with my hands creating something.  There was no "suit and tie" in my future.  I tried several options, sheet metal, welding, and even did a few years driving a truck.  I settled on sheet metal work and am to this day a proud member of the Sheet Metal Workers Union.

During this time I found a hobby working with wood.  My first pieces were attempts at furniture and I do mean "attempts".  With only a few hand tools the results were not very good.  Then I discovered "String Art" pictures and I found my niche.  I taught myself what I know through trial and error.  I also learned about making wood furniture (I've made almost all the furniture in our house).

In 2005 I was forced to retire from my job as a Union Sheet Metal worker when an accident damaged my right hand and made it impossible to continue working with the tools of my trade.  So, instead I now spend more time working on what was a hobby when I had time off.  They say "when one door closes, another opens" and I'm hoping this is true for me.