Mathew is a proud father, husband and Lincolnshire Yellow belly. His love of woodturning was sparked when he was at secondary school. Unfortunately, academia did not come easy, but Mathew was good with his hands and had a very strong work ethic. 

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However, life never really provided him with the opportunity to develop his skills until we purchased our current home in 2009, a dilapidated farmhouse with an old barn. Very quickly the old barn was soon transformed into a fully functional workshop for this budding British artisan (the house is still waiting). Once again, he could work at the lathe. Over the years the lathe and tools have been upgraded as he honed his skills as a designer and a maker. 

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Many friends and family commented on the quality of his work and encouraged him to try and sell the pieces he made. We started with our village show and now we exhibit at many different beautiful, historical and amazing venues. Our five children are probably our biggest supporters but also our harshest critics.

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In 2015 Why not wood was created, following Mathew being made redundant, we took a leap of faith and set out on our artisan journey. There have been many ups and downs, but this has allowed Mathew the opportunity to grow and develop his creative skills.

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As a self-taught woodturner with no formal artistic training, Mathew is only limited by his own imagination and not constrained by theoretical learning but richly moulded by experiential learning. Although as a self-confessed perfectionist many pieces never make it to public viewing and can often be found in the wood basket by our fireplace. The integrity of his work is hugely important to us.