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Dennis Ruane is fortunate to have
lived most of his life in the Appalachian Mountains. He grew up in
Hopwood, Pennsylvania. a small town in the southwestern corner of the
state. As a boy scout at
age twelve he received his first merit badge, woodcarving and
thus
was introduced to the craft that would one day become his livelihood
and passion. Dennis began his career as a sculptor while a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, carving and selling wooden spoons. In 1982 he abandoned his science career to follow the life of a craftsman, moving back east the following year. |
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Dennis struggled along for many
years, selling spoons to make
a living
while he accumulated tools and taught himself how to use them.
It is now characterized by simple flowing lines with the beauty of the wood an integral part of each composition. |
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Dennis Ruane and his wife, Jean Alvarez moved to Waynesville, North Carolina in 1999. They purchased a bulding on Main Street and opened Hardwood Gallery. The building also served as their home and Dennis' studio. Hardwood Gallery was open for eight years. During the latter part of this era, Dennis fulfilled a long time desire to write a novel. In the summer of 2006 he self-published his first novel, Wooden Spoons. Dennis has since written a second novel, Cataloochee Man, which was published in September of 2009. |
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Hardwood Gallery was closed at the
end of 2007. Shortly after, Dennis purchased a house and a
small building located near Marshall, North Carolina. Over the course
of the past year he
converted the building into a workshop and gallery. Walnut Creek Gallery
opened on
May
12, 2009. |
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Copyright ©
2009 Walnut Creek Gallery. All rights
reserved
world wide. All images and
writing are property of the |
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