Im proficient, but my obsession is not with woodworking technique. I dont think my work was ever about perfection —by any stretch. I love the process, but for me, building is just one aspect of the whole thing. When I started making animal forms I had to learn how to carve, and that was a long, slow learning process. For some reason, instead of going out and taking a carving class, I just bought some tools and started hacking away. I learned carving just by experimenting, which is what I have always liked to do. This may sound stupid, but I dont want to know too much technically, because then Ill build differently. I still consider myself a hacker when it comes to carving —I dont really know how to carve. But I can always get what 1 want, using a variety of tools. Ill use rasps and carving tools and sandpaper, a big rotary sander and a chainsaw —whatever I need to get it there. And I like that. What was the catalyst that took you from the unadorned furniture of your first years to the animal - form furniture you began to make in the mid - 70s? After about five years or so of making very straightforward furniture, I started feeling like I wanted to bring it to life.