Parrott Gallery Shop

George Ketcheson

My love of wood began in my father’s workshop over 65 years ago. My father is gone now, but his guidance and mentoring over the years helped make me the woodworker I am today. Although exposed to woodworking from a very early age, my first serious attempt was around 1975 when I started carving. In 1981 I started making boxes and have built hundreds since then. I have also made wooden spoons, breadboards, loudspeakers, furniture, and started carving caricatures from golf balls about 30 years ago.

Over the years I have moved to smaller pieces and have occasionally indulged in the whimsical. Some of my creations, like charcuterie boards, have an obvious purpose, but I like to think of all my work as functional, even if the function is just to make you smile. I have put a little bit of myself into each one of my creations, and although I hate to part with them, I love to know that people are enjoying them.

I typically use native woods, much of it cut locally. When possible, I feature wood with flaws like voids, knots, bark inclusions, cracks and spalting. It is sometimes unstable, with wild grain, or damage from insects and micro-organisms, requiring extra care and effort. To my eyes, the most interesting wood is a testament to the tenacity of life, recording the tree’s reaction to adversity. The history of the tree is written in the grain of the wood. It has character and is inherently beautiful. I want to share the beauty I see with others. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.