Russ Skinner

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Creates: wood turned trees, mushrooms and vases
Member since: 2024

Russ arrived at Colorado State University from Ohio in 1969 to study Park Management and Economics. After graduating with distinction, he envisioned a forestry career but instead spent most of the next fifty years working with wood, aside from a few years in the landscape industry and as the assistant superintendent of the City Park Nine Golf Course in Fort Collins.

Russ's woodworking journey began by refinishing furniture in another craftsman's shop. There, he learned repairs, custom furniture design, and construction. He also developed a personal ethic, understanding that attitude is as important as skill and that true craftsmanship often involves turning mistakes into "design opportunities."

He established his first personal workshop in Omaha, NE, and later had shops attached to his homes and a commercial space in Timnath, CO with an art gallery. Over time, he shifted from refinishing to furniture construction and non-functional pieces. As he neared retirement, handling large furniture became less appealing, and he transitioned to creating lathe-turned trees, mushrooms, twig pots, and vases. These pieces are technically challenging, visually captivating, and bring joy to others.