Larry Cook

Heirloom quality wood creations - featuring jewelry boxes. I'm just a humble electronics technician by trade, who likes to make nifty items out of wood in my spare time. Having a tendency towards doing things my own way, and being self educated in playing with wood, everything I make is unique while still being properly built.

Ernie and Claudia Koch
www.Facebook/Koch Woodworking

Koch Woodworking specializes in making hand carved wooden bowls, trays and cribbage boards utilizing Iowa found wood and special memory woods. We collect wood from downed Iowa trees and demolished or remodeled Iowa buildings. We use common hand and power carving tools to turn this Iowa wood into wooden bowls, trays and cribbage boards. All our items are coated with a food safe finish and are suitable for everyday use, gifting or display.

Ernie Koch was raised on a farm outside of the small town of Meredosia, Illinois. He attended Southern Illinois University, graduating with a degree in Microbiology. He then worked in the veterinary biologics industry for 35 years. In 2005, he retired from his position with Fort Dodge Animal Health in Fort Dodge, Iowa to start Koch Woodworking.

Ernie had always had many hobbies and interests. Woodworking was one of these interests and he spent many hours in his small woodworking shop. At first he made small pieces of furniture but soon gravitated to natural “found” woods. Natural woods provided a warmth and beauty not found in purchased wood and he began to look for unique ways to use these treasures.

In 2001, a friend gave Ernie several long pieces of three by 12 inch antique yellow pine lumber from a corncrib that his grandfather had built near Clare, Iowa. The crib was being demolished so he salvaged several pieces hoping that he could have them made into something to help him remember his grandfather. Ernie decided he would try to carve some of the wood into a bowl or tray. After several false starts, he settled on the carving methods that he still uses today. The result was a beautiful bowl that his friend will be able to treasure forever.

​Ernie has become a specialist in carving food safe bowls of all sizes from Iowa found woods. His work has been well received at art shows throughout central Iowa. Ernie has been recognized for his unique artistic style on several occasions.
 

Kent Ryan

Kent Ryan is a native Iowan and an avid history buff. He went to the University of Iowa majoring in journalism and psychology and a little art on the side. A part-time job in a local bakery led to full time work in bakery management. As cake decorating was one of the skills learned, he spent a lot of years drawing (with icing). A lifelong interest in woodworking and wood burning led to the start of "Country Market" in 2006 during a layoff from a "retirement job".

​The pictures he does combine the interest in Iowa history with an interest in old vehicles and trains and visions of days gone by. He works from a combination of wood cut illustrations, old ads and nostalgic memories. All the work is done by the artist by hand including the making of many of the frames and all finishing. No computers are used in the production of this work. All pictures are made with a hand held tool, some are colored with acrylics, and finished with brushing lacquer.

Jan Wormley

I have always enjoyed working with wood. As a child, I used a pocket knife but now I use everything from knives to power tools and try to make my birds as realistic as possible. I like the idea of taking a piece of wood that was once living and give it new life through my art.