About the Artist

My art begins with forgotten wood. Old doors, fence boards, or scraps that once had another life find their way to my shop. I keep the knots, the scars, and the curves because they carry a story, just like the pets I carve. The wood’s journey matters as much as the one your pet has taken with you.

When you send me your pet’s photo, I do not just look at markings or fur. I ask for their name, their quirks, and the little things that make them unforgettable. I sit with that story. I call them by name while I carve. Line by line, their spirit fills the grain. My goal is not just to capture how they looked, but how they felt to you.

This practice comes from a lifetime with wood. Some of my earliest memories are of standing in my father’s woodshop, watching him turn raw lumber into something lasting. I fell in love with the smell of sawdust, the hum of tools, and the rhythm of working with my hands. That love never left me. Signed in Wood became the place where I bring that childhood wonder together with my passion for honoring memory and keeping wood out of landfills.

I create my own stains from vinegar, nails, turmeric, or chili powder, experimenting until the wood tells me what it wants to become. Every portrait is a collaboration. Your story, your pet, and my hands working with the imperfect beauty of reclaimed wood.

When you unwrap a finished carving, you are not just receiving art. You are holding a memory made solid. A keepsake that will outlast the photo albums and the cell phones and live on the wall as a daily reminder of love.

For me, it all comes full circle. From tree to board, from board to scrap, and from scrap to a wooden canvas where I carve life back in. Your pet deserves that circle. And so do you.