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Hello
   I m Doug
I was born in Centralia and grew up exploring the rocky shores of Puget Sound...
I have always felt a profound connection to nature.
It is the essence of who I am, and it is deeply woven into my art and every aspect of my life.
My journey in the arts has been far from straightforward.
From a young age, I was drawn to art, and as I grew up I honed my drawing and painting skills through self-teaching.
Under the guidance of my brother, Steve, an accomplished artist and the founder of Cellar Cast, I delved into the world of fantasy sculpting. I loved bringing the ideas and characters in my head to life and turning them into sculptures full of character and personality.
Through the years, I have sold my sculptures to customers in the US, Japan, and the UK, while a few of my drawings have been featured on cards.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Above: " Peebles the Elf and the Troll cross"
Drawing in colored pencils.
Right: "Spot the Troll" Sculpture in Monster Clay
It was around 2020, during the pandemic, that building birdhouses began to shape my creative evolution. Surprisingly, it quickly became a vital part of my identity. I found healing, joy and fulfillment in my work, and I haven't looked back since. My birdhouses stand as a testament to a life lived in awe and reverence to nature. Each a labor of love and meticulously crafted with attention to detail.
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I find infinite inspiration in the natural elements, reveling in the raw textures of weathered wood and the intricate patterns of bark and moss. When I hold a piece of wood, I envision faces, shapes, and forms that come to life through carving. I am a big fan of fantasy stories and movies like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. They have been a continuous source of inspiration to me and you will find it easy to recognize it reflected in my work.
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In the end, each tree spirit, troll, and being I see in the wood emerges with its unique personality in my carvings, a testament to the organic nature of my creative process.
The saying that art and creativity save lives rings true in my experience; it's a reality I cherish deeply.
I invite you to explore my work, hoping you'll find something that resonates with you, something you'll cherish and share with your loved ones.​​
The lamplighter and the knife grinder
My birdhouse journey emerged from my love for birds and nature, and it became a source of healing and inner peace.
Over the past twelve years, I've experienced the profound loss of two incredibly important individuals in my life: my best friend Michael in 2012, and my younger brother Luke, who succumbed to brain cancer in 2019.
Grief numbs your body, breaks your heart, and drains your veins, but grief is also just another form of love. Thinking about my brother sometimes overwhelms me with pain because he is not around anymore, but thinking about him also fills me with immense joy. I think about the happiest moments of my life that we shared, and it makes me feel incredibly grateful.
Working with wood and building birdhouses has provided me with a healthy way to cope with grief and anxiety. It taught me about mindfulness and gave me the strength to pull through knowing that my grief will never be too big for nature to hold. I find comfort in building birdhouses and foraging for all the natural elements I use to decorate them.
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Nothing in this world can bring my loved ones back, nothing can ever replace their presence, and nothing can ever explain my loss. But acknowledging their ever-lingering presence in my life and living a happy, fearless life just like they did is my Option B, and remembering and honoring them through my work gives me something positive to focus on and to be proud of.
When I build a birdhouse I am not just putting pieces of wood together. I am pouring my heart out.
Even in the most difficult times, I’m aware that I’ve been fortunate and it makes me so happy when people can see it reflected in the whimsy of my birdhouses.
" I believe my loved ones live on within me and I’m grateful for their influence in shaping the man I am today.
If I can live a life half as whole as theirs and celebrate every moment just the way they would want me to, I will consider myself lucky. "
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Luke & the silly hat
Luke & Durango
Praise of a Man
- In remembrance -
"He went through a company like a lamplighter —
see the dull minds, one after another,
begin to glow, to shed
a beneficent light.
He went through a company like a knifegrinder
— see the dull minds
scattering sparks of themselves,
becoming razory, becoming useful.
He went through a company as himself.
But now he’s one of the multitudinous company
of the dead where are no individuals.
The beneficent lights dim but don’t vanish.
The razor edges dull but still cut.
He’s gone: but you can see his tracks still,
in the snow of the world."
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