A North Carolina native, Robert Shuping has been working with wood for nearly thirty years, building custom houses in the Chapel Hill and Durham area of North Carolina as a hands on licensed general contractor, providing custom trim details, built in cabinets, creative decks and other special features. Preferring to build furniture and create items from wood he harvests himself, he phased out of building homes and for the last eight years has worked alone creating his exclusive wood works in his shop. Although some pieces are created from purchased premium wood, Robert harvests most of the wood himself from storm damaged trees and those otherwise being removed. He knows how to identify special figured sections of the trees, first collecting logs and then milling them into specific sizes or boards depending on the item for which it is intended. The wood is then air dried, sometimes for several years, until it is ready to become a beautiful work of art. With rare exceptions, most pieces are finished without stains or dyes to bring out their natural beauty. Most of the time he can tell you the wood origin of each piece, whether from 1996's Hurricane Fran, the ice storm of 2003 or a family farm in Montgomery County. He lives outside of Chapel Hill with his wife of over 20 years, their teenage son, 4 dogs and several parrots.