Dada came to spend the winter with us in Chicago and needed something to keep him busy. I put a lathe in the basement and this is what he created. Almost entirely wood and able to keep perfect time. Completely mechanical, it relies on a weight for power and a pendulum for timing. Once wound up, it runs for about 12 hours before needing to be re-wound. It is an interesting exercise to re-tune it twice a year as the house gets moist in spring/ summer and dry in winter.

This car was built piece-by-piece when I was a teenager. No kits or templates - every piece built from scratch, from sheet metal and tube steel. Engine and transmission pieced together from multiple different cars (and bikes for the carburetors). Everything down to the Scorpion badge was shaped by hand - I clearly remember Dada watching TV and polishing the newly turned gear shifter knob with white toothpaste to get a mirror finish! Power-to-weight ratio that can compete with a Porsche.

My father-in-law has been painting for most of his life, but my wife only started giving it a try a few years ago - its clear she inherited something special! A mixture of oil, acrylic, water color and charcoal. 

Marquetry uses thin layers of wood to create intricate designs or pictures on surfaces like furniture. Every leaf and petal was cut by hand, shaded with a fine blowtorch and inlayed into to the table top.

This masterpiece was handcrafted from Pudauk. Gold leaf artwork/ pin striping and the mirror finish take a special level of mastery to accomplish.

Japanese-inspired mount and display table for this beautiful sword.

Stone, wood, metal...