Hudson River Inlay
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I grew up in Royal Oak, MI (Detroit area). In high school and in college, I majored in art & design. I also studied the art of music and have performed with bands, playing lead guitar. I went to the San Francisco Institute of Art from 1975-1979 (majoring in painting. After graduating, I opened a studio/frame shop in the Embarcadero Section of the city with 2 other art graduates. We began doing marquetry, after meeting an accomplished artist/marquetarian on the Wharf and learning. I have been creating marquetry artworks and furnishings since running a frame shop in the Embarcadero section of San Francisco in 1979. I moved our studio in 1984 to NY, ultimately settling in the famous, historical art community of the Hudson River Valley.

After the design is drawn it is tweaked into a fine line graphic drawing. I decide on the wood combinations (and mother-of-pearl, web turquoise, stone). The veneers and other materials are cut with many tools. The veneers are approximately 1/32 of an inch. The pieces are individually cut according to a blueprint that I make from original rough sketches. The pieces are adhered with wood cement to an MDF board. I then sand the pieces for a smooth finish. The work is then pressed to put even pressure. The pieces are finished with an acrylic urethane (lacquer) and a semi-gloss finish. I work with my fellow artist, as we share in the craftsmanship and critique each other’s designs to get the best in each of us.