Tucked inside a former bunk-house on a 5,600-acre farm 30 miles north of Great Falls, Montana, Richard Charlson is turning wood. The word “turning” can be defined two ways: using a lathe to shape wood and then taking several more steps to turn that wood into beautifully crafted works of art.

Turning wood wasn’t in Charlson’s original life plan. He is a fourth-generation farmer, growing several types of grains as well as canola seeds on the land his great grandfather started farming in 1912. In 1985, Charlson began to make signs in his spare time, initially for a quarter horse organization and later, as word spread, for homeowners and business owners.

Read the full article in the January/February 2026 issue.

The Sky Dancers

wood
15″ by 16″

 

Shattered Dreams

wood
16″ by 16″