At an early age, growing up in Iowa, Bill loved to make things. He spent hours in the basement building and painting model cars and ships. At about 10 years old, he and his best friend and neighbor, Dave Merrill, built their first Soap Box Derby together. A few years later, an uncle gave Bill a rifle that was in need of being refinished. After getting advice from a local gunsmith, and a cabinetmaker, he dismantled the gun and refinished the stock. It turned out so nice, he didn’t want to hunt with it. "It might get scratched"! Around the same time, In 7th grade, Bill won an award in a Junior Scholastic Art Contest with a still life pencil sketch he had done. It seems, he was destined to be an artist and a maker of things. When it was time to choose a career, as a matter of fact, architecture was one of his top two final choices.
Although he ultimately chose a career in healthcare, he still preferred to retreat to his shop whenever possible. Throughout most of his 40 year career as a hospital pharmacist, consultant, software developer, sales exec, instructor, and clinical specialist for a major healthcare information provider, Bill spent evenings and weekends making gifts, boxes, picture frames, household items (paper towel and napkin holders, knife blocks, etc.), and eventually furniture. Furniture making is still among his favorite activities. And while traveling on business (which was frequent for about 30 of those years) he read and learned everything he could about woodworking and carving, subscribing to at least 6 or 7 different publications simultaneously.
A set of Basswood chip carved coasters set into a Butternut tray for display and serving
Speaking of carving, Bill had admired many of the carvings he saw at craft fairs and in shops and galleries over the years, but he had never developed a serious interest in trying it himself – until he saw a demonstration of Chip Carving and what the artisans were producing. This unique style of carving offered everything he loved about woodworking; the inherent beauty of wood, perfect symmetry, close-in precise work, unlimited artistic design options, and an eye-popping final product. He was hooked! But it would be a few years before he could pursue the training necessary to become an accomplished chip carver himself. Bill finally had an opportunity to learn the craft from Wayne Barton, the Country’s preeminent chip carving artist and instructor. Over a period of about six years, Bill took 3 formal training classes from Barton, ending in a 6-day advanced class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
He continued to study the craft by gathering and applying additional information through publications and direct interaction with other accomplished chip carvers. It wasn't long before he was spending less time on furniture making and other forms of woodworking and more time on Chip Carving.
Formal Training Pays OffThe John C. Campbell Folk School located in Brasstown, North Carolina, is dedicated to the study of craft of all kind. Numerous woodworking and Chip Carving classes are held there every year. It's located in a pastoral setting in the mountains of Western North Carolina but draws students from all over the Country.
Throughout that time, Bill won numerous awards at local and regional carving competitions with chip carved boxes, plates, trivets, coasters, and similar pieces carved in the traditional style, using designs and subject matter similar to those used over past centuries. But after some 8-10 years, he was challenged by friends and family (and himself) to experiment with new ideas that would differentiate his work from what was already being done by most other chip carvers.
“It was my goal to create something new and unique in the world of chip carving while maintaining the traditional techniques, attention getting beauty, and the precision of the craft”, Bill said when asked what brought him to the work he’s producing today.
The result finally came in combining two of his greatest long-time interests; the beauty and diversity of ocean life, and the precision and craftsmanship of chip carving. Forty years of scuba diving coral reefs and about twenty years keeping saltwater aquariums (another of Bill's hobbies)has equipped Bill with a personal knowledge of the beauty, behavior, and diversity of these animals. Subtle details that differentiate one coral reef species from another provide opportunities for creating eye-catching art versus realistic copies of fish. By making these creatures the focus of his chip carving designs, Bill has unlimited subject matter to work with, presenting his chip carving skills in a new and artistic way. When asked where he plans to go from here, he replied, "The Ocean is the limit!"
Although he ultimately chose a career in healthcare, he still preferred to retreat to his shop whenever possible. Throughout most of his 40 year career as a hospital pharmacist, consultant, software developer, sales exec, instructor, and clinical specialist for a major healthcare information provider, Bill spent evenings and weekends making gifts, boxes, picture frames, household items (paper towel and napkin holders, knife blocks, etc.), and eventually furniture. Furniture making is still among his favorite activities. And while traveling on business (which was frequent for about 30 of those years) he read and learned everything he could about woodworking and carving, subscribing to at least 6 or 7 different publications simultaneously.
A set of Basswood chip carved coasters set into a Butternut tray for display and serving
Speaking of carving, Bill had admired many of the carvings he saw at craft fairs and in shops and galleries over the years, but he had never developed a serious interest in trying it himself – until he saw a demonstration of Chip Carving and what the artisans were producing. This unique style of carving offered everything he loved about woodworking; the inherent beauty of wood, perfect symmetry, close-in precise work, unlimited artistic design options, and an eye-popping final product. He was hooked! But it would be a few years before he could pursue the training necessary to become an accomplished chip carver himself. Bill finally had an opportunity to learn the craft from Wayne Barton, the Country’s preeminent chip carving artist and instructor. Over a period of about six years, Bill took 3 formal training classes from Barton, ending in a 6-day advanced class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
He continued to study the craft by gathering and applying additional information through publications and direct interaction with other accomplished chip carvers. It wasn't long before he was spending less time on furniture making and other forms of woodworking and more time on Chip Carving.
Formal Training Pays OffThe John C. Campbell Folk School located in Brasstown, North Carolina, is dedicated to the study of craft of all kind. Numerous woodworking and Chip Carving classes are held there every year. It's located in a pastoral setting in the mountains of Western North Carolina but draws students from all over the Country.
Throughout that time, Bill won numerous awards at local and regional carving competitions with chip carved boxes, plates, trivets, coasters, and similar pieces carved in the traditional style, using designs and subject matter similar to those used over past centuries. But after some 8-10 years, he was challenged by friends and family (and himself) to experiment with new ideas that would differentiate his work from what was already being done by most other chip carvers.
“It was my goal to create something new and unique in the world of chip carving while maintaining the traditional techniques, attention getting beauty, and the precision of the craft”, Bill said when asked what brought him to the work he’s producing today.
The result finally came in combining two of his greatest long-time interests; the beauty and diversity of ocean life, and the precision and craftsmanship of chip carving. Forty years of scuba diving coral reefs and about twenty years keeping saltwater aquariums (another of Bill's hobbies)has equipped Bill with a personal knowledge of the beauty, behavior, and diversity of these animals. Subtle details that differentiate one coral reef species from another provide opportunities for creating eye-catching art versus realistic copies of fish. By making these creatures the focus of his chip carving designs, Bill has unlimited subject matter to work with, presenting his chip carving skills in a new and artistic way. When asked where he plans to go from here, he replied, "The Ocean is the limit!"
