PETALUMA, Calif. — At Two Rock School of Woodworking, in a calm workshop, Timber showcases a hand plane that fits snugly in their palm. Compared to the large industrial saws close by, the tool offers a more intimate and direct connection to the wood.
“This is the real tool,” Timber says, cradling the plane. The connection between craftsperson and wood is immediate.
The journey began in Miami during the 1980s when Timber, feeling like an outsider, sought solace. Their grandfather, an artist and goldsmith, had nurtured Timber’s artistic talents, always exploring new creative pursuits. However, standing out in South Florida during that era was challenging.
“I believe one of the primary reasons I struggled in the non-inclusive environment of South Florida in the ’80s was due to my queerness,” Timber reflects. “That prompted me to relocate to the more accepting Bay Area, often referred to as the gay ghetto.”
Since 1996, the Bay Area has been home, a place where being themselves was never a question. Here, Timber’s fascination with how the natural world intersects the built environment could grow. The career path wound through landscape architecture, then farming, and finally woodworking, but the core interest remained: that blurred line between human-made and living.
Now at Two Rock School of Woodworking, Timber hosts weekend students learning the basics — how to use machines safely and join two pieces of wood properly.
“There’s a reverence you develop for not only doing the work, but learning how to do the work the right way,” Timber says. Teaching others has become as important as the craft itself.
During the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, Timber found inspiration in activist Tricia Hersey’s message that “rest is resistance.” This led to a series called “Rested,” made from sinker redwood-ancient timber that had fallen into a Mendocino river and been recovered from the bottom.
The result looked like a simple bed, but carried deeper meaning. “I made a place to dream a better future,” Timber explains. “This idea that you could rest on giants, that you could, by osmosis, soak up their integrity and knowledge.”
At Two Rock School of Woodworking, Timber can bring their love of both craft and craft education to their home. The school continues as a place where students learn fundamentals and discover their own connection to wood. It’s about making objects that matter-not through elaborate techniques, but through respect for the material and the process.
“It’s about placemaking and imbuing objects with meaning,” Timber says. “It has to do with the quietness of a piece of wood and allowing it to have a voice. That’s all I want to do.”
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