Some people might call Richard Johnston an "accidental woodworker." Although working with wood has been a lifelong interest, Richard never planned to earn money with his wood working - it was a hobby that afforded occasional opportunities to build furniture and toys, refinish antiques and renovate several houses.  Retirement from a long career in IT management provided Richard time to focus more attention on wood working.  People began commissioning him to design and build cabinets, trunks and furniture, and he discovered wood turning. Richard learned to shape chunks of wood into useful objects that reveal the beauty hidden inside trees -  heartwood hues, grain textures, swirls of burls, even insect burrows - and  add character to what Richard calls "tree treasures."  For several years Richard has sold his hand-crafted items such as pens, paperweights, jewelry boxes and bowls at local art shows.  Richard continues to expand his wood turning skills, focusing on bowls turned from locally grown green (recently cut) wood - it's a terrific way to recycle wood, and produces some surprising results. 
Richard Johnston can be reached at PO Box 411, Valley Forge, PA 19481;  (610) 935-1026; email: richjj@icdc.com.