Charlie spent 30 years flying for Delta Airlines, out of Atlanta, Ga.  In 1997, he moved to the northwest, seeking a

quieter lifestyle and a slower pace for his retirement.

Although always interested in wood work, his hobbies centered more around cabinetry and furniture making, until

a friend encouraged him to attend a local lathe club meeting.  In 2001, at the Inland Northwest Wood Turners,

Charlie watched a guest presenter turn a bowl, and he was hooked.

With the help of a supportive club and several mentors, he learned different forms of lathe turning, and after

encouragement and persuasion, Charlie entered the 2003 Northwest Fine Woodworking Box and Container Show

in Seattle.  He placed second in a field of talented and accredited competition.

Now the challenge is the pursuit of art.  A mechanical engineering graduate of Texas A&M, Charlie never thought

of himself as an artist, however, discovering the creative world sparks interest and passion, as well as the opportunity to learn. Currently he is studying

shapes of vessels that were developed hundreds of years ago, and have endured to become the classic pieces that we continue to appreciate.

Charlie sees wood turning as a challenge, and consequently a place to experiment and thus to learn. He believes if your work is free of failures, you are

not taking enough risks.

Charlie Benson can be reached at   charlie@songdoghills.com

"The risk of comfort can suffocate you into sameness"

Charlie Benson

PO Box 30399

Spokane, WA 99223-3006                             email - charlie@songdoghills.com