Wood artist Dave Zimmerman knows well the blessing and the curse of being an artist. "I can't stop," said Zimmerman, standing in his shop - a structure filled floor to ceiling with his unique creations. "I have said I am going to stop, but I just can't."

Zimmerman's work is currently on display at Morton Fine Furniture, 61 E. Main St., Lititz. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as Mondays through Thursdays by appointment. Zimmerman's work has been featured in House Beautiful and Bride's Magazine, and he has won awards in juried East Coast competitions. Morton, a furniture maker, called Zimmerman's work "outstanding" and said that he admires Zimmerman's "ingenuity and skill."

Zimmerman first picked up woodworking tools in his father's workshop when he was a child. "I played there when he went off to work," confessed Zimmerman, who later improved his woodworking skills at Rutt Quality Cabinetry in the 1960s. Although Zimmerman also worked as a truck driver and went to college for a few years, woodworking has always been central in his life. After working for Rutt's, he built home additions and kitchens during the 1970s.

"1980 was the big turning point for me," recalled Zimmerman. "At one point I was going to design, make, and sell my own work. It was a declaration of independence." Zimmerman noted that working at Rutt's had given him the basic knowledge he needed to master the appropriate machinery and tools to make his creations. "I couldn't do what I do now (without that)," he stated. Zimmerman began selling his works at craft shows and in galleries in Lancaster. He said that he was most active as an artist between 1980 and 2000.

Zimmerman described the creative process as similar to "playing." Referring to a piece resembling a sailboat that he calls "Soul Boat," he said, "My best pieces end up being a surprise. I remember that piece of wood (that became a boat) because it was a complete reject throwaway piece. I started playing with it, and it surprised me." Zimmerman said that when he is creating art, he "gets into a different frame of mind." Many of the sculptures in Zimmerman's workshop in Terre Hill are abstract. He noted that the pieces are open to the viewer's interpretation. Pointing out a piece that reminded this reporter of fish coming out of the water, Zimmerman said, "I saw cliff dwellings in the southwest ... but anything is valid." Zimmerman's workshop also contains practical pieces such as tables and benches, but his favorites are the abstract creations, some of which tower into the rafters, bearing some resemblance to baskets, firkins, and other common wooden structures.

"I was trying to define what I do," said a thoughtful Zimmerman. "It's not fine art. It's not even fine woodworking. I don't know what to call it." When the description "wood sculpture" was suggested, Zimmerman responded, "That works."

Readers who wish to learn more about Zimmerman's art may visit https://davidzimmermanart.weebly.com.