Ray Johnson...

                                          

Funny how things go.  Just when I thought my usefulness was over, darn if I don’t discover I had a bit of a talent working with leather. Of course, I had worked with leather growing up in Xenia, Ohio.  I even owned part of a black powder supply store in Ohio where I made leather items for sale.  But it wasn’t until  2004 that I discovered a bit of a talent tooling leather and more specifically tooling leather in the Sheridan style.

I had dabbled in other arts and crafts, the best being woodcarving.  I won several awards in that medium and I still like to dabble in it at times.  However, I lost interest in this just after receiving my doctorate degree in Safety Engineering in 1995 while working in Carlsbad, New Mexico. 

In 2000, I was a very successful consultant and ran my own business.  I traveled extensively and worked primarily for the government performing safety inspections for the Postal Service.  On one such trip, I happened to sit next to a neurologist that noticed a tremor in my right hand.  The physician asked if he could perform a couple of tests and afterward, informed me that I should go see my personal physician because he suspected Parkinson’s Disease.  Indeed, he was correct.  Having now been diagnosed, taking medication round the clock, and having both good and bad days, my contracts and contacts quickly dried up leaving me and my wife in a financial crisis.

In 2003, I was diagnosed with Multiple Systems Atrophy, also known as Shy Drager Syndrome.  This form of Parkinsonism manifests as different symptoms to different patients mostly manifested by orthostatic hypotention upon rising.  Along with the tremor, headaches and etc, I did not believe that I would ever be able to do much of anything other than watch TV and vegetate.

It was in 2005, that I happen to be in a Tandy’s Leather Store and met some folks that told me I could probably try to do leatherwork.  I sat down at their worktable and did my first tooling.  It sparked an interest and now, I have been told that I am one of the best carvers in the county.  I entered the Clark County Nevada fair with one of my pieces and won Best of Show and Reserve Champion.  It was quite a high point in my life.

Since then, I have made several other pieces of varying difficulties, everything from old west gun belts to a lady’s purse , tool carriers, bible covers, and free form leather pieces.  I am glad to once again be able to do something that I can take pride in.  I am now being mentored by Mr. Chan Geer, a nationally renown master leather carver living in Sheridan, Wyoming.  Mr. Geer has won the prestigious Al Stohlman Leather craft Award in 2005.  An honor only bestowed on those who achieve master carver  status and recognized by his peers.

I still have days that I cannot carve due to medication problems or times when my body does not allow me to work.  There are days when the best I can do is sit on the couch and work on my web site or try to draw a new pattern.  But most times. I try to do some tooling even when I don’t feel up to it. 

Leatherwork is what keeps me going.  It is the reason I get up in the morning and try to keep going. 

Please see my work at www.nevadaleathercraft.com.  Thanks