I am primarily a self-taught woodworker, having started building furniture around 2000. I enjoy the challenge of working with wood and the beauty of the material. I like the tools, and I especially appreciate the time in the shop refining the design details of the pieces I create.
My formal education includes classes taken at the following schools, all of which I highly recommend:
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (Rockport, ME) - "Intermediate Furniture Making" taught by Kevin Rodel
Elia Bizzarri - Hand Tool Woodworking, LLC (Hillsborough, NC) - "Continuous Arm Windsor Chair"
Lonnie Bird's School of Fine Woodworking (Dandridge, TN) - "Woodworking Essentials"
Durham Technical Community College (Durham, NC) - "Intermediate Woodworking"
I continue to further my woodworking education daily by reading & following the many publications, blogs, videos, books, etc. available for the craft.
And finally...my grandfather, Harland Orswell McNeill (aka "Bud") was a woodworker & carpenter himself, so I guess it is somewhat "in my blood." Although I never got to appreciate this about him while he was alive (I was fairly young when he passed away), I enjoy relating to him through the pursuit of this craft.