I was born in the city of Birmingham, England and immigrated to America in 1984. Now married with two children, I feel richly blessed. 

I began this profession as a 19-year-old with some artistic talent and no idea how to apply it ...sound familiar?! It was soon after I had moved to rural Somerset in the southwest of England that I crossed paths with Philip Thomason, a master carver and woodworker who specialized in Jacobean era furniture and architectural fittings. He invited me to work under him and I soon fell in love with that period and with the carving of ornamental woodwork. 

That began a journey that has brought me into some of the most beautiful homes and castles, a privilege and pleasure that has enriched my life. I went on to become fluent in the period English style and worked as head carver for Stuart Interiors, one of the premier fabricators of Tudor style furnishings in Britain, for 8 years. 

It was through them that I came out to America some 32 years ago to work on a palatial style home in Southern California. I grew to love the American people and the way of life here. That commission led me to staying here and developing my repertoire of design to include all historical periods as well as the avant-garde and contemporary styles of today. These can be done in their more pure form or put together in an eclectic manner that is inclusive of various designs. 

I do have a fascination with medieval times—it's not that I would want to have lived then, but the works of art that they produced with such limited resources are incredible to me. In my mind it was a romantic time of chivalry, honor, and expression (why let the facts get in the way eh!). As I am working on a period piece, I often imagine the artisans back them and how they would have been living. When I look at some of the drops, swags and hanging decorations of 17th-century master carver, Grinling Gibbons, I am full of awe and reverence—and a twinge of excitement! 

These days, I do far more of the flowing Rococo design of the mid 18th century, but truly I go across the board and enjoy all new and unique commissions of any era. As I create a length of acanthus leaf movement, for example, it appears almost like musical notes to me, creating a flow and atmosphere that becomes lyrical. 

After more than 40 years in this profession, my love and appreciation only grows and I still get a sense of magic as I transform a statuesque tree into an immortal piece of artwork that will outlive me and my children. 

To the creation and appreciation of beauty, 

Paul Smith