John App‘s work is handmade at his home workshop in Milolii, Hawaii. It is his goal to show the fabulous wood of Hawaii in the most exciting manner so that all can enjoy its beauty and unique characteristics. John feels this memorializes the soul of the wood created over many years under many different conditions. John believes his work ethic and theme matches the message conveyed by Volcanoes National Park of conserving Hawaii‘s precious resources. “You only have to see one of my works to realize how I go about preserving the beauty of each piece of wood that I utilize. Very little goes to waste in my shop!”
Raised in Indiana, educated at Culver Military Academy and Brown University in Classical Archaeology, John became an officer and then a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps. John flew many missions in Vietnam in 1966, then went into business in Southern California from which he retired in 2004. John took up woodworking by attending Palomar College’s School of Cabinetry and Woodworking in the San Diego area prior to moving to Hawaii. He and his partner, have built a beautiful, off-grid home in Milolii where he continues to pursue his love of woodworking today.