Artist Statement
Since I do a variety of woodwork, from wood jewelry to furniture, my inspiration varies somewhat. I like the “close to nature” aspect of wood and try to stay true to its inherent beauty. It is very rare that I use anything other than a clear finish, as I believe stains or dyes do not enhance the grains or character. I also try to incorporate natural curves and a sense of organic imagery in a lot of my pieces. Sometimes the wood will determine the end result all together. With a lot of natural wood there is no way of telling exactly what it will look like until I start working it, and I have found staying flexible to be important. For example, I may have to make a table top before I can visualize what kind of legs it should have. Needless to say I never follow plans and most of my creations are one of a kind. I rarely repeat designs, as there are always new woods, combinations, and variations to try.

I have a strong desire for experimentation which has resulted in a large array of woodwork . There is always a wealth of untried plans floating around my head and I try to bring as many to life as possible. Over my woodworking career I have jumped from idea to idea. Some stick around and some get left behind and others get revisited time to time. You might have to “ask” if you’re wondering what I’m up to lately.

About Dean Grosnick
As a child in Wisconsin I discovered a fascination with tools and wood scraps in my father’s basement shop. Through middle school and high school shop classes more opportunities surfaced and I maintained my love of wood and all its possibilities. After high school I tried my hand as a mechanic but shortly found bloody knuckles and snow melt down my shirt distasteful. I returned to wood; chasing a tech school degree in fine woodworking.

Still young, I found setting up my own shop and making a living as a woodworker beyond my reach. Luckily, almost all my jobs gave me hands-on experience with woodworking or at least power tools (gotta love power tools). Maybe it was framing an addition or building hot tub skirt but most days I went home with the sweet smell of saw dust in my shoes.

By my late twenties I got the traveling itch and spent some time in Australia. On my return I found Madison a little to confining and decided Portland was where I should be. Long story short, it got me to Oregon. I always had a passion for the outdoors and fell in love the state. The jobs I could find ,unfortunately, didn’t involve much woodworking. I did, however, discover rustic woodwork at a hotel in Newport and pursued the craft on my porch in downtown Portland. I am not sure if the neighbors thought I was crazy or eccentric as I hand chiseled mortise and tenon joints into tree branches.

As I grew older I found myself in needing a break from the rain and landed in Bend, OR. I finally had the means to set up a reasonable shop in the basement and started pursuing woodworking full-time. I have found myself pursuing both rustic and fine woodworking and ,occasionally, combining the two in a style I call “contemporary rustic fusion”.

I’m sure woodworking will always remain a large part of my life and I can’t imagine anywhere more inspirational than the state of Oregon.

Artist code: DG