I saw scrimshaw for the first time as an early teen on a family vacation in New England, and it immediately captivated me. The combination of its nautical history, attention to detail, exotic material, and a dare from my mother sealed the deal. I have been practicing the craft ever since - over 50 years. By vocation I am a college biology professor. I teach biology and natural resources management at a regional state university in Michigan for 8 months of the year and support myself during the summer by selling scrimshaw at art fairs in Michigan and Indiana. In addition, I play violin and classical mandolin, garden, do fine woodworking, and enjoy backpacking and wilderness canoeing. About half my subject matter is nautical – ships, lighthouses, whaling scenes and the like – following the nautical origin of the craft. The remainder consists of wildlife, wild and cultivated flowers, Celtic/Nordic knotwork and other traditional designs. Being a biologist by profession, I make the animals and plants in my images as anatomically accurate as possible. I also try to include movement in my biological subjects, and dimensionality in all my work – the surface may be flat and static, but my images are not. I try to extend my craft to others by making a wide variety of items, such as jewelry, desk and personal accessories, antler cribbage boards, antler-handled knives and other useful objects. Recently I have started to make larger display pieces to draw yet another niche. It has allowed me to explore new things in the creation of my art, and use other materials – wood, metals, shell, and soft stones such as turquoise and malachite – to make the custom display bases for each piece. In short, I do what I love, and love what I do.