Curtis Alston Laudermilk has been turning wood for over a quarter century. He creates lamps, vases, bowls, platters, and crosses from native Texas mesquite. A retired educator with experience in both the public schools and the Texas Youth Commission, Curtis is attracted to mesquite because of its unique characteristics. Hard, dense and extremely stable when drying, its tenacity has enabled it to defy all attempts at eradication. The native wood is rendered by this artist into objects that are given character by the irregularities like burls, bark inclusions and other “beauty marks” left by Mother Nature.