Al Tuttle

Though art talent runs in my family (grand father, aunts & uncles, sisters, cousins), I do not proclaim to be an artist. I leave that to my talented wife, Chris Hoke. I have some musical talents which I use to drive Chris crazy (see below) and I am a self taught do-it-your-self home re-modeler and wood worker. After 27 years working at the Allegheny County Health Department in Pittsburgh in the environmental health programs and later supporting the computer systems, I found myself "forcefully retired" in 2004 due to budget problems in the County. In the Fall of 2005, we sold our Pittsburgh home, moved full time to West Virginia and I went to work full time for/with Chris. (Depends on who you talk to.)

You can see by the picture that she did a little leg twisting. The broken leg put a real kink in our production schedule in 2006 and 2007. I made myself a "peg leg" so I would have my hands free to work. The prototype needs some more work but it served its purpose. The doc made one leg just a little longer so now I'm a true West Virginian.

Always a gadget person, I enjoy working with my hands and tools to create or fix things, be they wood, mechanical, or computer related. Chris has become a little reluctant to ask me to undertake any new projects because it usually means I run out and buy some new tool or gadget to help me do the job. ("Tim the Tool Man" would be proud of me.) So I apply these skills to creation of our rustic furniture and use Chris's artistic eye to help me obtain the proper balance and proportion in the furniture.

My other passion is Celtic music and more recently traditional "Mountain Music." I took up the tin whistle a while ago and like to drive Chris out of the house with it ("It's too screechy!"). I keep threatening to take up the bag pipes. Now that's screechy. I am also learning to play the hammered dulcimer (tough when you don't take time to practice). And though a little rusty, I occasionally pick up and play guitar, 5 string banjo, and piano. (Well I don't actually pick up the piano).

If you come to one of our shows, perhaps you will hear me playing the whistle, luring in the customers and casting a spell on them. One of these days I will learn to make whistles and perhaps sell these in our booth too.