Where it all happens!
Gregg Palm, Engineer, Artist and Woodworker
Maker of custom wood gifts.
“As a child, I was obsessed with objects and I constantly asked how and why they were made the way they were. I took things apart, examined the individual parts, and evaluated their qualities. Investigating the process taught me how things worked together to create a functional whole.
During Junior-year shop class, I discovered that by using tools and machines, I could transform raw materials into useful, appealing objects. My fascination with design and working with machines would later translate to a college job at a tool and die shop. I earned a Mechanical Engineering Degree and entered the workforce. For twenty years I worked as an engineer in the automotive industry. Over time I became detached, almost clinical in my involvement with materials and design. I had become distanced from the hands-on creation process that I loved.
Then one day, I was refinishing wood stairs in my home and I again felt the joy of working with wood, metal and my hands. As I dusted off the equipment in the shop, I began to think about all the things I could make. The list hasn’t stopped growing.”
From Yvonne Holland, partner, and best friend…
“When I started working with Gregg to create and share his functional art, I found my calling. From unique and fun custom beer caddies to one-of-a-kind pepper mills made from exotic wood, each piece that we create is 100% crafted by us. Whether we are using the advanced technology of the laser or I am carefully holding a delicate sliver of zebra-wood while Gregg glues…we are creating. The tradition of solid American Craftsmanship has largely disappeared. But not at G3 Studios. Here is a 24/7 obsession…and my true joy.”
Where It All Started
Though the seed for G3 Studios may have been planted when teenage Gregg first touched a table saw, G3 Studios officially began in 2003 in Gregg and Yvonne’s 900’ sq feet garage. Gregg began turning his ideas into art and then he and Yvonne revealed the creations at art fairs and galleries throughout southeast Michigan and the Midwest. Since then, the workshop has grown and G3 Studios’ hand-crafted home and office products grace homes and galleries throughout North America. Though their workshop and product list has grown, their commitment to quality remains solid as oak. As Gregg likes to say, “Although I can’t guarantee the effects of Mother Nature, I do guarantee my workmanship.”
The Why
Gregg works in wood because of its warmth and infinite variations. He is drawn to the segmented wood technique for the technical and analytical challenges it poses. Each segment is carefully oriented based on grain strength and cut to precise measurements to ensure strong bonds that will stand the test of time. Each finished product highlights the subtle beauty of the wood while radiating its tactile, aesthetic, and practical appeal.
Gregg’s artistically-intensive process is unique in its creation and end result. It is this dual uniqueness that garners each G3 crafted product immediate attention and appreciation. While not everyone will become a G3 customer, everyone who sees a G3 product will certainly become enlightened as to just how beautiful every day goods can be when they are crafted from wood.