Since I was a small child my mom worked for Wayne Barton, one of the worlds most renowned Swiss Chip Carvers. When I was young, my mom would take me to work and I would play with Wayne’s kids, not really understanding or caring about carving. I remember being surrounded by his art designs, and seeing many of his works and commissions in progress. But to me they weren’t as interesting as playing ghosts in the graveyard in his back yard. In 2013, many years later, my mom planned to retire from working with Wayne. He had been doing a bi-annual tour of Switzerland, focused on its many carving styles, for many years. But he was planning for that year to be one of his last. So my mom and I joined it.

For me it was an amazing experience. Art had become such a primary focus of my life as a photographer, and I always had regretted having access to a world class artist for so long, but never discussing art. Never really hearing his story. And this trip changed all of that. Not only did he give talks about wood carving through history, but we visited the school where he trained. The trip, the lessons, and the beauty of Switzerland will always be dear to me.