The name Deep Creek has a lot of meaning in my family—but to be brutally simple, it was the name of the street where my grandparents lived. It was there, through countless Thanksgivings and endless firewood, that the meaning of “family” really took hold. It was this place where my grandfather collected and stored walnut in a giant barn out back. I can still remember the smell as you walked into the barn.
And now, this wood is dispersed throughout the Barbour family, stored in this garage, that shed, those rafters. That wood marked the beginning of my woodworking career, and it continues to grace my work here and there.
Over the years, I’ve built tables and cabinets, converted bowling alleys to countertops, made wooden toys and utensils, and for a time, even restored fortepianos that are now housed in private collections and museums around the world (including the Smithsonian, and universities in Perth, Australia). I’ve also done rough-out construction, helped to build round houses, and done many-a-mundane-thing in an oh-so-creative way. But no matter how utilitarian the work—for me, it always comes down to the beauty and the simplicity of the wood.
So here at Deep Creek Woodworking, it’s all about the wood. Each piece of furniture or jewelry is custom made based upon the swoop of the grain or the fleck of the cut. Everything is handcrafted, everything is oiled and buffed, and everything—everything—is made to last. Whether it’s one of my handmade beds or even a set of earrings, you are benefiting from the life of a tree: it’s history, it’s many years of slow progress. We might as well all enjoy its beauty.
Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy my work.
