Woodworker
I attended Union College with the intention of going on to medical school. However, undergraduate life as a premed student did not appeal to me, so I majored in the fine arts as a music composition student. I feel that this experience during college cemented the importance of the arts in my life. Upon completing medical school, I came to Rhode Island to train in pediatrics and endocrinology. I ultimately had a career as clinician, physician-scientist and medical educator, but I never left music or the visual arts behind. As a young adult, I was introduced to woodworking by my father-in-law, an antique restorer and furniture finisher. Following semi-retirement in 2013 from my role as an academic physician, I became a (nearly) full-time woodworker, fulfilling an ambition born of a lifetime as a hobbyist. My time in the shop is divided between commissions and non-commissioned work that I show at Imago, the Providence Art Club and several other venues each year.
Artist Statement
Woodworking has been my life-long avocation. Since my semi-retirement in 2013, it has been a nearly full-time pursuit. In most of my work, the focus, first and foremost, is the wood. It is a remarkable medium with an extraordinary diversity of textures, colors and patterns. In designing the pieces I make, I aim for fine lines and pleasing proportions. Some of my work is inspired by 20th century art and artists. Most of my work is relatively simple (as opposed to ornate), but I sometimes find myself emulating classical forms, usually reinterpreting them with a contemporary sensibility. I have come to accept that I don’t have a defined “voice” in the work I make – I suppose I’m subject to too many influences and sources of inspiration.
Seekonkwoodworking.com