Stephen Gross has lived on the Big Island since 1980, first moving to the Kona side where he lived for six years before moving to Hilo where he now resides.
Gross is a retired RN and self-taught woodworker. When he first started out, he learned mostly from ads for woodworking products and through turning a lot of wood into sawdust. Gross admits that he is still constantly learning through this process.
His pieces are made primarily with woods found on the Big Island, although some pieces call for woods which come from elsewhere.
Gross prefers to make furniture, but will tackle almost anything including boxes, small cabinets, and so on. He also enjoys creating commissioned pieces because they involve working directly with the client, sharing ideas, discussing possible alternatives and techniques, sharing knowledge and information. This results in a piece that is exactly and specifically what is wanted with no need to settle for less than a perfect piece for the situation.