I am a retired medical scientist (pharmacology/physiology) living just outside Memphis in West Tennessee. I began turning wood in 2005 primarily because I wanted to learn more about the inside of the trees I had admired all my life. Apparently, I possess minimal inherent talent because the items I produce don't resemble the products I view in various galleries -- shaping wood is fun, endless sanding is boring. However, I enjoy making useful items from native woods. I don't make large bowls, hollow forms larger than an orange, and no pens. Just about anything else I will tackle. No carving, no piercing, and only minimal embellishments. Most of what I make is from native woods collected from my little farm or along the road. My favorite wood is persimmon, with black locust being a close second. I also use a lot of walnut, osage orange, honey locust, dogwood, holly, Bradford pear, magnolia, hickory, and white oak. I would use more cherry if I could figure out someway to prevent it from cracking.