I became interested in lighting and furniture design in 1992 while a student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. I had a knack for drawing and intended to pursue a career in graphic design or animation. My intentions changed when I took a three dimensional design course from Professor Philip Harding. He was a respected architect, designer, and teacher. He saw the ease with which I was able to transfer two dimensional design to three dimensional reality. He suggested that I begin working in sculpture. I did, and eventually chose it as my course of study. I focused on the the utilitarian aspects of architecture and structure and how they could be put to use in designing furniture. I graduated with a Batchelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1994.

After graduation I began an apprenticeship as a coppersmith at V. Michael Ashford Design, now known as Evergreen Studios. Thus began my education as a coppersmith and my introduction to the world of Arts and Crafts, specifically the work of Dirk Van Erp and Gustav Stickley. Over the next eleven years I played a major role in the conceiving, sketching, designing, and construction of all that studio's custom pieces. My sense of proportion, attention to detail, and devotion to quality, contributed significantly to the success of Evergreen Studios.


In 2005 I started my own studio under the name "Craftsman Copper". My mission is to create new designs, rooted in the established Arts and Crafts style, and perhaps nudging from time to time, the boundaries imposed by the past. I provide hand crafted, custom designed and built lighting of the highest quality available.

James K. Davies

Craftsman Copper