I have always enjoyed rummaging through old auction catalogs or the Maine Antiques Digest for new ideas. Every now and then something leaps out at me and I reproduce the basic idea while adding my own interpretation to it. Sometimes an early piece is so worn that the original colors are no longer visible or attractive so I try to visualize it restored to its previous charm. That's what I did with this sternboard. The colors on the original piece didn't speak to me but the form was so gorgeous that I wanted to create it myself. My goal was to make something that still had an aged look - without being too contrived - and, at the same time, I wanted to pay tribute to the original artist who had a good eye for drama, proportion and grace.