Welcome to Spalt Studios
The name “Spalt” comes from spalting—the natural discoloration of wood caused by fungi as a fallen tree begins to decay. As the fungus travels through the wood, it alters pigmentation and often leaves dramatic, ink-like lines tracing its path.
These markings occur at the intersection of life and decomposition and can produce some of the most striking and unpredictable patterns in wood.
That meeting point of transformation and beauty defines my work.
Artist Statement
I am a woodturner and carver devoted to carrying the joy of the forest into our everyday indoor lives. The wood I work with is gathered close to home—fallen trees, roadside remnants, trunks left behind after storms, or pieces given to me by friends. What others pass by, I see as a possibility. Within each piece lies a story written in color, grain, and time.
Wood is a living record. Some timbers are flawless in hue and form, offering quiet elegance. Others begin as unusual growths—burls (or burrs)—where the tree has twisted inward on itself, creating mesmerizing, mottled patterns that reveal their hidden complexity only when turned or carved. And then there is spalted wood: timber marked by the wandering lines of fungi as it begins to decay. These natural tracings, born at the meeting point of life and death, create dramatic, ink-like patterns that cannot be replicated by human hand.
It is this moment of transformation—the confluence of growth, decay, and renewal—that inspires both my work and my studio’s name. Each piece I create is an invitation to reconnect with nature, to hold a fragment of the forest, and to witness its quiet wonder up close.