JOE BOURGEOIS

My art is an attempt to connect with wood so as to lift up what I have in common with it. We both have a life that goes on despite the lack of notice that is given it. Someone might say we are filling our environmental niches. No one plants or cares for most trees. They grow out of cracks in asphalt or rocky cliffs - never mind the abundance we find in forests. I do not always eat what is healthy for me and have been known to work in settings which could (and did) prove deleterious. Our lives interconnect with other lives. I like to experiment with the stresses and support in wood to see how far it can go. I also like to maintain a growing edge in my skill set. As each piece grows so does my life and, my hope is, the life of those who experience it.

I have shared my life with two wives, two children, and four grandchildren. My first wife, Sharon, died after 53 years together. I met Nancy in church, and our wedding was conducted by one of my first wife's friends and colleagues. I have lived in West Virginia since 1991 and much of that time I have worked as a general contractor. Around 2005 I turned to furniture and erected a 30' by 50' shop in Bunker Hill. Since then I have built tables, chairs, large wardrobes and cabinets, and small objets d'art. I do inlay work and have delved in old house restoration.