How has social distancing affected you?

As far as creating, it has actually allowed me to have more time in my shop. It has given me the ability to focus on new pieces rather than having to continue making my usual product line. As for the business side, it has forced me to rethink my business structure and how I sell. My biggest sources of income are art fairs and craft shows, and with those being canceled at the moment, I have had to look into other options, the main one being online sales. It has always been a goal of mine to do more online business rather than traveling to art fairs so this was a perfect opportunity for me to start working towards that. I am trying to look at the quarantine as a chance to grow my business and skill in different ways rather than focusing on what it has taken away.

What is unique about a hand-made whisk, rolling pin or spoon as opposed to a mass-produced kitchen implement?

There are a few different unique qualities to my work that definitely help make it stand out from any mass-produced kitchen utensil. The first one being that all my work is done solely by myself. I do the creating side of things and the business side of things. This allows me to know my work inside and out. Another unique trait is that all of the wood that I use is locally sourced; the majority being from Davidson County and the surrounding area. Also along with that, the majority of the logs I used are "repurposed" meaning that they have either fallen from a storm, died from natural causes, or were removed from a construction site (A tree to close to house, etc.). It sounds cliche but I truly do enjoy giving each piece of wood that I work with another life as opposed to being used for firewood. Since I use locally sourced material, each work is different from the last -whether that be in size or shape, the grain pattern, the color or a mix of all of the above. 
 

What do you hope collectors experience with your work?

I hope they experience a high-quality utensil or bowl and see the passion that went into the piece they own. I always say I want my work to be "usable art". With every item I make, I want it to have purpose. I want my items to be cooked with, cut up with, stained with sauce, dinged up and whatever else cooking can do to a utensil. I want my items to have a story from the owner 100 years from now. A few years ago, I received a cutting board from my late-grandmother that was passed down to her from her grandmother. This was not a high-end cutting board by any means, BUT I noticed the cut marks, the cracks, the stains past food had left behind, and it just always makes me think that if that cutting board could speak, what stories and memories could it share with me about my past family that I never got to meet. That is what I want from my work. I want families to pass my items down long after I am gone but not focus on who made it but the experiences that were shared around it because a kitchen can always bring a family together. This may be cheesy to some, but this is truly what goes through my mind, whether I am turning a large ornate salad bowl or simply making a nice little spreading knife.