WOOD
In addition to Kevin’s work with pastels and watercolors, he also channels creativity into crafting cedar-strip kayaks, butcher blocks, cutting boards, and furniture. These handcrafted pieces represent another facet of his artistic expression, where the natural beauty of wood and the precision of construction come together. Each project is a testament to Kevin’s appreciation for both functional design and aesthetic detail, blending traditional techniques with a personal touch. Whether it's the smooth, flowing lines of a kayak or the rich, enduring qualities of a cutting board, woodworking reflects a deep connection to his craftsmanship and a passion for creating lasting, meaningful objects.
If something strikes his curiosity he’ll learn about it and build it!
This Cape Cod-style home had a brick wall that felt dated. To increase flow and function, room layouts and functions tend to morph. What worked one year may not the next. So, Kevin changed this space by lightening up the wall with handmade wainscoting and a ‘new’ mantle (albeit the new mantle is actually over 100 years old gifted by a Victorian homeowner in Old-Town Fort Collins).
Mantle Upgrade
Butcher Block & Cutting Boards
Functional and attractive, the butcher blocks and cutting boards Kevin builds use various combinations of walnut, beech, maple, and oak. Kevin is always building and trying out new shapes and adhering to classic patterns as well!
Halloween Props
A lot of people enjoy the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - just look at the Universal Studios Theme Park!
Over the years Kevin has built various wands for clients who want to cosplay their favorite character or just to have an individualized wand created.
Kayaks
Building a cedar-strip craft takes focus, ambition, and perseverance. It also takes time - a lot of time!
A hand-built kayak is a functional piece of art and the solitude and freedom they provide rejuvenates Kevin, filling his cup to help bring in tomorrow!
Colorado River
Paddling a 17’6” sea kayak down the Colorado river was something Kevin had never considered before, but he found it to be an ‘absolute riot!’
Kevin met up with the Poudre Paddlers, a Northern Colorado Paddling group, for some camping near Kremmling, Colorado. The section of the Colorado River they ran went from ‘Pumphouse’ to ‘Rancho Del Rio’. The variety of rapids to mellow sections made for a very enjoyable river run.
This video was filmed using an iPhone in a waterproof case mounted on the kayak via a tripod. Chris Holm, a musician, creative, and friend of Kevin’s, edited the film and composed the music. Contrary to the video’s suggestion, he ran the rapids unscathed!
Strongback
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A strongback is a plywood box beam that hold stations (plywood forms) on which the strips will be added to form the hull..
Aligning stations
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Placing test strips keeps the stations straight. These strips are removed once the hull is built up with enough permanent strips.
Adding strips
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Using carpenter’s hot glue to adhere strips to the stations (forms) keeps a clean surface. Stapes are typically used, but leave small holes that can be undesirable. The extra effort using hot glue keeps the deck and hull clean and attractive!
Paddleboards
An incredibly stable fast paddleboard. Kevin did take liberties with the build and added a dry hatch which reaches from edge to edge to easily store bulky items!
Pictured is the ‘from-scratch’ 11’8” stand-up paddleboard on launch-day!
FAQs:
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Building watercraft in the summer is ideal, but sometimes winter is the only time life slows down enough for large and involved projects.
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Strips are typically 3/16 of an inch
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Steam is a common method used to bend wood, but I am working with thin strips so use a heat gun to manipulate the strips with no down-time for drying.
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Cedar is rot resistant and is lightweight. Plus it is wrapped in fiberglass and epoxy for strength.
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By ‘fair surface’ I mean that the strips are on the same level. I rip my strips from long cedar boards with a table saw, then run them through a planer. The planer cleans up any blemishes or saw marks from the table saw. A few extra steps on the front-end of the build saves time and effort during the build - and a heap of sanding too!
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Building a kayak or paddleboard from scratch is a slow process with a sea kayak taking about 200 hours to complete.
With Paddleboards only the outer surfaces are seen, unlike a kayak, so it is a faster build.
