Steve "Spike" Finch Steve "Spike" Finch was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout his years Spike has worked on many artistic projects in his spare time. From furniture making to inlay work, to wood and stone turning, to airbrush art. He is a self-taught lathe artist and learned many of his skills as a young boy watching his father tinker in the garage. Spike has recently turned his full attention to his craft, due to a injury that forced him to change careers and lifestyle. Happily, he created this into a new opportunity. Spike turned his passion and artistic talents to segmented turning. He creates one-of-a-kind vessels, vases and bowls incorporating alabaster and soapstone that is 200,000 to millions of years old and rich in history. In addition to utilizing a wide variety of exotic hard-to-find woods. This marriage of materials is what separates Spike’s vessels from the rest. The synergy of his designs and craftsmanship, produce objects of great beauty and distinction. When beginning to turn and uncover each vessel, no decision is made on the final design. He lets the material speak to him, revealing the shape that is meant to be as he brings it to life. It's a discovery of sorts. He feels like an archeologist, uncovering something that has never been seen before. His soapstone and alabaster vessels are turned so thin that light passes through the stone. This adds a unique, radiant dimension to the vessel. When Spike's not turning you can find him teaching or providing free demonstrations at the local woodcraft store. Spike's other passions include photography, computer 3D graphics, and rock climbing.