I was born and raised in Michigan by parents who have always encouraged my creativity and imagination. I migrated towards art in high school and fell in love with metalworking and industrial art shortly after I started college. Through many influential teachers and an awesome community, I learned that I could make good use of my workingman's hands and problem solving skills in a metal shop. I have worked as a blacksmith, welder, machine operator, fabricator, DJ and a few other things over the last eight years and I try to do things each day that will help refine my craft. After being employed in a few shops since I moved to Oakland, California in 2009, I decided that in order to create the life I want, I needed to start building my shop and taking some risks. I started my company Axial to Terminal mid 2012 as a way to better manage the projects and commissions I do, and I hope that I will soon be able to use it as a vessel to teach as well. Being an artist is a lifestyle I love, the world is an animated and fascinating place when you can actively engage in the creation of its things. I love to learn about new machines and processes, collect junk, see how people are clever in their solutions and teach people how to weld. I listen to music ALL THE TIME, I have a warehouse dog named Kenya, and a lot of awesome friends and family who have helped make this possible.