More than forty years ago, I began making whimsical trains and airplane toys for my children. Enjoying the process of making the toys, I explored making artworks ranging from utilitarian objects such as benches, tables, and boards to sculptural totems and chairs. A trip to Tanzania awakened a desire to incorporate African motifs and woods in my art. When I begin a work, I do not start with a drawing but rather an idea of what type of object I am going to create. Through an intuitive process, I am guided by the pieces of wood until the mystery of how they fit together makes a unified whole.