Carl Firley has called North Carolina home since 1995. He worked as a counselor for 25 years in Buncombe County and decided to shift gears in 2022 when he entered Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Wood Program. While Carl has always found solace and joy in the forest, his relationship with wood has been an evolving one. Early on, when spending time in the woods, he would eye fallen trees and view them for the value they had in firewood. That relationship has changed. Now those same fallen trees are viewed with a lens of what interesting grain patterns might be hidden in that wood. Common firewood has become a canvas for artistic expression. Carl currently produces smaller projects that spur his creativity. He is currently working on building a small studio workspace that will allow him to pursue the craft for years to come.