Ted's Story

My relationship with wood started over 30 years ago while trekking along a hill in the Andes Mountains with my wife-to-be, Rose. We approached three Peruvian farmers, tilling the rocky soil at the foot of the mountain with a hand plow. The beauty of the plow’s worn, knotted handle captivated me. I bought that plow for $20. The excited vibration that bounced against the hills and struck us as we walked away came from the farmers, rolling in laughter at their good luck with this crazy ’ gringo.’ We smiled as we walked on with our treasure.

My love for the natural look, smell, and feel of wood continues. Fast forward ten years: I discover wood turning; the physical process that transforms this beautiful product of sun, soil, and weather into a masterpiece that appeals to the senses. The artist draws on nature’s design to create each Atelier piece--a unique combination of nature’s raw material and the artist’s vision. The turner’s contribution begins with the study of the trunk. Every piece is made entirely from salvaged wood: we only use wood from tree stumps, trunks salvaged from rivers, or prunings. If the first cut of that salvaged trunk is not done properly, years of natural beauty will be lost in an instant."