George Peterson, a self-taught turner and sculptor, has been a full time studio artist since 1992. Peterson only works with indigenous woods like cherry, ash, locust, walnut and sycamore. He will not work with rare or endangered woods. Famous fans of Peterson include Donna Karen, who recently purchased an entire wall of his skateboards for her Urban Zen Foundation, and President Obama, who has a Peterson bowl on display in the Oval Office.

“I like wood because it is common and easy to get. Wood is all around us and many people don’t know how beautiful and interesting it is…There is no joinery in my work so I am able to work from start to finish without interruption. I use green wood and the forms I make are often altered as the wood dries out. Cracks will form and the wood will warp. It gives the work a layer of spontaneity that I could never contrive on my own. I take an intuitive and spontaneous approach to my work. The action of shaping the wood with my hand-held tools is satisfying in a very basic way. As I work the wood, I collaborate with it. The wood has a voice and I have a voice; we interact. The finished piece illustrates that interplay.”