Gary Holloman View Portfolio

Cherry, mahogany, and ebony altar table, located in St. Vincent de Paul Church, Federal Way, Washington.

I grew up in southern California where the wood God tapped me pretty early in life. I spent much of my free time in the Sierras or helping a neighbor build a wooden sailboat and worked in a wood shop through high school. At nineteeen I was presented with a choice; to stay working exclusively for an interior designer who wanted to set me up in a shop, or move to the northwest doing woodwork on a boat in La Conner, Washington. As I consider myself an adventurer, the call of the wild won out. I fell in love with the Skagit Valley and started my own business in la Conner in 1976.

Being self-taught, my craft has been evolving ever since. There is a long list of items that I have built over the years, custom kitchens, bathrooms, libraries, stairways, doors and boat interiors. I have done floors with inlay, the interior of a first aid car, a bridge and the English style telephone booths in La Conner were one of my first projects. I enjoy building furniture and have specialized in church furniture, inlaid designs, armoirs and one of a kind pieces. Everything I design and build is to be handed down from generation to generation.

I never stop learning and loving what I do. Of utmost importance is fostering an appreciation of wood and its value. I am involved at a local high school wood shop, am a certified wood member, President of "Woodworkers Northwest" and a member of Artwood.

Cherry and maple altar table, located in Sisters of St. Joseph Church, Bellevue, Washington.