I started carving in the early 1990's. I wanted a Cigar store Indian but did not know where to buy one, so I decided to make one. It was very unsuccessful. I then decided to carve just the top of a Cigar store Indian - a bust, I tried several, and they were all unsuccessful. I then heard about a wood carving workshop. Larry Rodgers was my very first instructor. Larry taught me more in three days than I learned in a year carving by myself. That year, with some direction, I carved seventy-five busts, more than one a week. I carved all kinds of subjects with all kinds of wood. I was beginning to be pleased with the work I was doing and started to receive compliments on my pieces. As I look back, these pieces were poorly executed and I am embarrassed at how proud I was of them; but I also see how they served a purpose. I learned about wood characteristics, and when to carve aggressively and when to go slowly and carefully. I learned how to use the tools and feel comfortable with them. Experimentation with finishes taught me a great deal about what was successful and what was not. I learned a lot about woodcarving that year. 

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     Since then, I went on to win over 150 awards for my work, including many "Best of Show" winners. I started teaching and have been doing so for 27 years.