A Tribute to my Mentor

I would like to start out with my first projects (naturally). Growing up I saw my brother Russell carve amazing things out of wood, using only his pocketknives. I always thought I'd like to do the same thing... but never got around to it until I was in college. I just wanted to carve anything for fun so I sat down in a storage room in our basement apartment and carved these late at night. The seahorse is from a stick of black walnut and the spiral is alder. Later during college I was in the process of applying for dental school. I wanted something tangible to demonstrate I had hand skills in case it came up during an interview. It did come up a couple of times, when I interviewed at Marquette and Case Western, and I am convinced this had a large role in what made me stand out enough to be accepted into their programs. So, thank you Russell for getting me started with a great hobby and for all of your advice. I'll remember you if I become rich and famous (which won't come from my woodworking).

Things like this are really not useful for much, but they were really fun to make and I still admire the simple beauty of a well prepared chunk of wood.