One of his major projects was a hand-carved belt that he made for my mom. I “borrowed” it as a teenager, and after all these years, it is still gorgeous. Fast-forward to the fall of 2009. I had established myself fully in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, and at that time, though I was always busy, I needed an artistic outlet. I asked my dad if I could borrow the leather tools that he had not used in so many years because I wanted to learn about this fascinating art form. He agreed to send me his tools and books, but with the stipulation that this was a loan, not a gift. I was very happy to get started and decided to begin my journey with belts. I made one for each of my parents and grandparents, and when my dad held his admiringly, he told me that the tools he had loaned me were now a gift. This Christmas (2019) will mark ten years of leather artistry in my life.

This floral belt was the first one I ever made. Below you can see several of my early designs.