I’ve always enjoyed teaching, and for a couple years now I’ve been a woodshop instructor at a maker space in Sunnyvale, California: MakerNexus. Along with other instructors, I teach both basic power tool safety, as well as a variety of more advanced skills in longer workshops. Though I’m excited to give back to the community and share my enthusiasm for the craft, I often leave classes with more energy than I arrived with, as my students share their energy and curiosity as they embark on their creative journeys.

Taking some time to refocus on a few personal projects that allow me to scratch my analytical itches, I’ll delve into the inspiration, math, engineering, and artistry behind a potential kinetic art sculpture, based on a BMW Museum installation in Munich, Germany.

Precision woodworking requires a sound understanding of math, angles, and geometry. But beyond that foundation that all good woodworkers possess, I also pursue - both for my own satisfaction and to meet client requirements - projects that have at least some elements of deeper analytical or mathematical elements at their foundations. In this post, I’ll touch on a few examples of these projects.

Vote. Get engaged. Donate. Write letters. Never has your voice been more critical. With America in flames and threatened by multiple early hurricanes and flooding; with our democracy under attack by an administration that is actively working to suppress the vote and delegitimize a potential loss at the polls; and with the philosophy of liberalism in decline as our president coddles autocrats, violently attacks protestors and encourages others to do the same, it’s no overstatement to say our country - and due to the nature of climate change (or inaction) - and our planet is at risk.

In his retirement, my grandfather picked up woodcarving and woodburning as hobbies. A few years after he started, he was making impressive birds and whimsical gifts. In this post, I share a few of his creations, and share some thoughts about his influence on my craft.

The Newari master woodcarvers in Nepal, and my experience learning (the bare bone basics) from a Newari master woodcarver in Kathmandu.

A few years ago, I transitioned from climbing the corporate ladder to running a sole proprietorship. I certainly had a few fears leading up to that transition - but which of those fears were real, and what big challenges in that transition were unexpected? What are some things to consider if you are contemplating a similar move?

San Francisco has an amazing maker community with a strong visual bent , as seen at an event co-hosted by The Midway, Pier 70 Partners, and Marpi. From an unexpectedly beautiful laser-lit fog, to a TV (or art display) with pixels mounted a few rotating arms, to an art installation featuring the exposed structural elements of Pier 70, come with me on a journey through a few of the highlights.

A break from the regularly-scheduled programming on art, woodworking, lighting, and the like, to be replaced with a brief rant on our current politics and a call to action for increased civic engagement.

I see so many amazing artists and craftspeople at the shows I’ve done, at past gift shows I’ve attended in New York, and in wandering the furniture stores in San Francisco. Even a “highlights” reel would take too long, but these three businesses - Modern Cellar (by Tim Krablin & Melliza Taipe), The Art of Motion Control (by Bruce Shapiro), and Phuze Design (by Orfeo Quagliata) would be at the top of just about any list I would create.