“I spent my whole career as an electrician, mainly focusing on commercial work,” said Jim Harvey. “My brother-in-law was a cabinetmaker. So was my daughter’s godfather. With connections like those, I got a lot of jobs wiring woodshops.
“When I retired, I joined the Bluff Creek Senior Men’s Club. Another member kept telling me I had to check out the Eden Prairie Senior Center woodshop. I insisted I’d already spent enough time in hot, dusty woodshops, but I eventually caved in. And I’m glad I did. It turned out I’d never appreciated the woodshop for the wood.”
Pens. Bottle stoppers. Small bowls, big bowls and onward. As Jim lathed away at increasingly complex projects, his long-concealed love for woodworking continued growing. He spent so much time at the Senior Center woodshop that he became its safety instructor. He even invested in a CNC machine during the lockdown.
Today, Jim does it all. He has made decorative bowls to commemorate a family’s favorite climbing tree after it was felled by a storm. Enormous cribbage boards with easily maneuvered quarter-inch dowels. Urns illustrating the dearly departed’s greatest passions in life. Each project gave Jim pride and satisfaction – and that’s all he wants.
“I don’t make a lot of money with Pith Artistic Wood Works,” explained Jim. “Whatever I make from art fairs and custom projects goes right back into my hobby. The real reward is seeing people appreciate the things I make.”
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