I grew up on my family's ranch near the southern border of New Mexico. Impressions of my childhood are rich with images of the desert...ocotillo and its red blooms and strange silhouette and swarms of gold june beetles appearing after the rains.

I've since settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The juniper trees and aspen groves of the high desert contrast with the landscape of my childhood, but the new surroundings feed my inspiration just as strongly. It's here in Santa Fe that Sundrop Lamp Co. was born in 2005, named for the golden-orange primrose that grows in the high desert.

Much of the design process takes place on my patio, and I've come to think of it as my favorite part of the lamp studio. It's on the patio that I sand and shape the aspen trunk into what will become the lamp body. I loosely sketch the designs in pencil before woodburning strong and deliberate lines. Using acrylics I paint the images with a combination of opaque layers as well as washes that allow the woodgrain to show. A varnish protects the artwork and gives the lamp a rich, satin finish.

I create shades made of papers imported from countries with strong papermaking tradition such as Thailand, Japan, and Nepal. The textures and warm colors of these papers are enhanced by the soft glow of a lamp's light. Because each lamp is made by hand, slight color variations and minor imperfections may exist. I take great care to send out the highest quality work possible. Therefore orders may take 8-10 weeks to process. I encourage visits to my booth at upcoming shows where one can view a wide array of Sundrop lamps, including my newest designs.