Known for the meticulous craftsmanship of his hand-carved, solid hardwood furniture and objects, John Eric Byers is a leading figure of a new generation of studio wood artists. The grandson of a carpenter, Byers trained in the workshop of Wendell Castle—the father of the art furniture movement. Byers strives to use the purest, most universal textures and geometric shapes—the circle, square, rectangle, cylinder, ellipse, and sphere—whose densely patterned, rigorously carved surfaces are combined with layers of milk paint. Using a process that dates back to ancient Egypt, Byers has used the technique of casein milk painting for over 15 years.