I was born in Santa Barbara, CA. and from an early start I was interested in building things and attending shop classes whenever possible. When I was 15, my family moved to Switzerland where I started out my apprenticeship as a Piano Builder, eventually receiving my journeyman’s certificate as a Church Organ Builder. I returned to the USA to open up my shop, building furniture. I continued to return to Europe periodically to further educate myself in the arts, making marquetry, designing and building contemporary or classical reproduction furniture, where I became a master craftsman. In a shop in Northern Italy, I’d bring my designs to build and continued to assist the main shop on larger marquetry projects, working side by side with some of the most gifted craftsmen in the world. I studied stone inlay in Florence, Italy, and traditional boatbuilding in England, which laid the foundation I needed to become a designer and builder of fine furniture. I currently find myself producing high-end pieces for clients, prototyping new ideas, teaching seminars, and consulting for private clients or professional shops on a regular basis. I have been published in many books, magazines and trade journals since 1980, have been in several solo or group shows and have been featured in international publications. Since 1982, I have been teaching marquetry and furniture making from my shop, then in various schools, clubs in USA and more recently, abroad. I have discovered that many of my past students are now producing award winning marquetry furniture, which rivals what I have done in the past!
My desire is to pass this knowledge received from my teachers onward, to insure that our skill levels, wherever we start, continue to grow and flourish into the future.
See more examples of his work on his website schurchwoodwork.com.