ABOUT THE ARTIST
MICHAEL HAS BEEN CREATIVE ALL HIS LIFE. HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS IN ONE CAPACITY OR ANOTHER MOST OF HIS LIFE UNTIL HE BEGAN HAVING SERIOUS BACK PROBLEMS. THIS FINALLY CAUSED HIM TO LEAVE THE BUSINESS HE TRULY LOVED. MICHAEL HAD BUILT AND OPENED HIS FIRST RESTAURANT AT AGE 21 AND HAD TWO OTHERS BY THE END OF HIS CAREER. ONE OF HIS MANY HIGHLIGHTS HAPPENED IN HIS LAST VENTURE. ESQUIRE MAGAZINE REVIEWED HIS RESTAURANT IN THE NEW ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER. THEY WERE SO IMPRESSED THAT THEY SAID THAT HIS RESTAURANT WAS "THE ONLY PLACE TO EAT BLACKENED REDFISH IN NEW ORLEANS!" WHAT AN HONOR
SHORTLY AFTER "RETIREMENT" MICHAEL WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE THAT LEFT HIM TOTALLY DEBILITATED. ALTHOUGH TAKING ALMOST 13 YEARS HE HAS MADE A REMARKABLE RECOVERY. WHEN IN HIS SHOP MICHAEL SAYS THAT IS THE BEST THERAPY FOR HIM AND THAT THINGS DON'T SEEM AS BAD WHILE HE'S WORKING.
THE ONLY WAY MICHAEL IS ABLE TO DO HIS TURNING WAS BY FIGURING A WAY TO WORK AT HIS LATHE WHILE SEATED. AND WHILE THIS IS NOT THE USUAL PROCEDURE IT ENABLES HIM TO SPEND MORE TIME CREATING HIS WORKS OF ART. MICHAEL USE TO WORK ON A 25 YEAR OLD LATHE HE PURCHASED YEARS AGO JUST BECAUSE IT WAS A GOOD DEAL, NOT KNOWING HE WOULD ONE DAY BE USING IT FULL TIME IN HIS BUSINESS, THAT WAS UNTIL HE PURCHASED A NEW MINI-LATHE, AND JUST RECENTLY A NEW FULL SIZE LATHE. WATCH FOR SOME SUPERSIZE PIECES COMING SOON. hIS OLD LATHE HAS MOVED ON TO SOMEONE HE KNOWS WILL GIVE IT A GOOD HOME.
MICHAEL HAS A SHOP FULL OF WOOD THAT HE STARTED COLLECTING IN 2002 AND HAS RECOVERED WOOD FROM TREES AND BUILDINGS KATRINA DAMAGED . MICHAEL IS DOING WHAT HE CAN TO UTILIZE URBAN FORESTRY WOOD AS WELL AS RECYCLING WOOD FROM THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
MICHAEL IS DETERMINED TO DEVOTE THE TIME HE HAS WORKING TO MAKE THE FINEST WORKS HE CAN AND IN ALSO BECOMING A WELL RESPECTED (AND COLLECTED) ARTIST. HE WANTS HIS CUSTOMERS TO BE VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR PURCHASES AND TO CHERISH THE FORM AS WELL AS THE BEAUTY OF THE WOOD HE CHOOSES FOR EACH PIECE.
AS YOU PERUSE THIS SITE YOU CAN SEE THAT MANY OF THE ITEMS ARE ALREADY SOLD. AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE MICHAEL'S WORK IS HEADING, HE JUST STARTED TURNING IN AUGUST 2006, AND IS SELF TAUGHT! KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS "CELTIC WOODSHOP" AND WATCH FOR WHEN HIS NEW DESIGNS AND INNOVATIONS HE IS WORKING ON NOW MAKE IT TO THESE PAGES. MICHAEL CAN DO COMMISIONS AND WILL WORK WITH YOU ON DESIGNS AND WOOD SELECTIONS. IF YOU HAVE A TREE WITH SPECIAL MEANING THAT HAS BEEN CUT DOWN OR WILL BE SOON MICHAEL CAN MAKE SOMETHING THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO KEEP THOSE SENTIMENTS WITH YOU. CONTACT MICHAEL FOR CUTTING AND STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. EVEN IF THE TREE IS DOWN SINCE THE HURRICANE IT MAY STILL BE SALVAGEABLE AND MADE INTO A BEAUTIFUL BOWL OR VASE. MICHAEL CAN BE EMAILED AT CELTICWOODSHOP@GMAIL.COM OR CALL HIM AT 504.913.1313
A SHOPPING CART WILL BE COMING SOON!