I am an artist, designer and master wood worker. I began my career working on old Dutch houses in the Hudson Valley. My interest in history and restoration work brought me to Virginia to work at Monticello. From there I was recruited to Jefferson's Poplar Forest where I worked from Jefferson's own letters to rebuild his octagonal summer home. Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and a number of other projects and museums made for some interesting travel around the state. While I made furniture and dabbled artistically in in different ways from writing to design work, most of my work was heavily restricted to matching the past styles. In the world of music, it would be like playing Mozart in a professional symphony while day dreaming about jazz.
In 2012 I began building my own village that would be a top rated mountain Inn and also a blank canvas for my creative ideas. WWW.fentoninn.com. While seen as a bit crazy by the building department and others, now that it is up and successful, everyone just thinks it makes sense now. On a daily basis people flatter me with compliments about the art and design and even my breakfast, it is a bit humbling really, and as I tell people, this was just first gear. With each unusual door, I strive to out do it on the next, an evolution from the classical styles to a world of my own creation with out rules beyond the whims of the wood I work on. My land provides enough wind fall trees than I can use and with the Inn running I can now focus more time on my art. And so it is my wish to share my works with others in new ways, in new places. A diplomat from the Swedish Embassy stayed with us and suggested the program of Art in Embassies while touring the Inn as a way to share my work with the world.