“SAWerGUTs” When you are constantly searching Habitat ReStores you begin to notice lots of old tools. It started with an old screwdriver and I decided to “see how it worked” once I began pulling the guts out of power tools I began to appreciate the amount of components and design that go into these old mechanical machines. This piece is a display of every part needed to run this power tool. No motherboard, no battery, just beautiful mechanical engineering that should be recognized and appreciated. 
“GOneFIshIng” This colletion came directly from one visit to the Eugene Habitat for Humanity Re-Store of Lane County. This piece was inspired by my very frst visit to the Eugene store. I was amazed at the amount of materials that were available even down to the old wooden boards that the collection is mounted on. The design takes its ques from the ruler in the center which is a fish measurement ruler for multiple Northwest species hence the name of the piece. I love the multitude and diversity of the tools and pieces represented. 
“ReddoTT” The red Sprinkler Head was the inspiration for this piece and everything exploded from there. There are more than 70 different tools in the composition as well as multiple vintage hardware pieces. The majority of the materials in this piece were sourced from The Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in NE Portland. 
“INterSektion” There is so much beauty in regular everyday items. We should seek to see the usefulness in discarded things, even staples and fasteners that have been determined as no longer needed. I am always amazed at how some found parts and pieces come together in a composition. The use of found things and repurposing them into something new and interesting. Art and beauty is all around us if we just take an instant and look around to see it. 
“TIME WAITS 4 No 1” I love old and vintage things. They seem so well made. The Classic studio photo of the old man was the insperation for this piece. It started from that inspiration and the old school clock face that began the composition from there it was the intermingling of the old and new technology hardware and pieces. The fact that time is continuous and progress doesn’t stop for anyone. This piece is a snapshot from items that have been discarded for whatever reason, but at one point in their existence they were very important and were used and charished by those who depended on them until they were no longer needed. We should simply take a moment to appreciate what has come before and where we are now in the journey of our own time.
Zach has been on the hunt since childhood. He was raised in secondhand and thrift shops as well as antique stores and salvage yards. His tastes and targets have changed through the years, but he still enjoys the thrill of the hunt and the ultimate “find”. He runs a building consulting practice in the Portland area and is also the training Director for the Apartment Maintenance Institute which delivers hands on maintenance training to technicians from across the state. Once he opened his large training facility in 2018 he had lots of bare walls and decided to put his Artistic skills to the test and create a space that would be fun and interesting for his students. That’s when he began looking for discarded tools, hardware, construction materials, and pretty much anything that was used by a tradesperson. As he began to hunt and find abandoned tools and discarded items he needed a way to display them properly and enjoy them rather than just having them sitting on tables. That’s when he began figuring out how to mount these items into display pieces. At first it was screws, metal fasteners, and brackets. This worked ok but took away from the composition’s finished look. Then he began messing around with adhesives and finally found a concoction that would be strong enough to hold heavy items on a vertical surface. From there his design and complexity began to grow. Now after nearly three years of experimentation he has found his stylized format and although he deviates from the standard format he is always building and creating displays from discarded pieces that would otherwise be thrown away or end up in someone’s drawer or garage pile. He believes there is beauty in these older pieces and the history and usefulness should be highlighted and enjoyed by multiple generations.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is one of the places that really cares about helping the community. I frequent all of the Willamette Valley stores and each one is distinct within its given community. The people that work at the stores are amazing and are always helpful and busy. Their dedication to the community and the services they provide is an inspiration. I always feel that the money I spend at the Re-Store is going directly to those in need and is having a real impact in those communities.