Michael Peterson

Michael Peterson moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1975 and harvested wood in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. He compares the experience of gathering unusual burls and branches to "walking around in a sculpture garden." He began to experiment with woodworking and made carved objects and symmetrical vessels that emphasized the beauty of the wood. Peterson is inspired by nature, and his roughly turned objects are embellished with carvings and texture to evoke weathered bones, fossils, and stones.