As a toddler, I loved to paint and draw or make things from clay such as people, furniture, plates and bowls and food to go in it. I received a Howdy Doody marionette for a gift and decided to make the entire cast from scraps I found around the house.

By the time I was 10, I could carve heads and hands, make costumes and build sets. At 11, I discovered model railroading and thought if I made everything myself, I wouldn't need any money. When my mom felt I was neglecting schoolwork by spending so much time on hobbies, my grandma suggested that I might become a skilled craftsman someday.

After earning a degree in history I worked in government jobs for 6 years. My passion was collecting antiques and learning to restore them. That was more satisfying than my day job, so realizing that my grandma was correct all along, I quit my job and became a craftsman and have enjoyed every day since.

Mountain States Collector
September 1999
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