Welcome to Knotty By Nature, artistic and functional wood creations by Mike Cruz. In a 720 square foot shop in Maryland, raw wood is transformed into everything from utilitarian pieces like bowls, pens, and Greenstix golf putters, to artful pieces like hollow forms. You’ll find spectacular specimens like burls, ambrosia maple, and figured and curly maple. Most of my work is made from indigenous wood, often from my own or neighboring property. However, occasionally, exotics are used for their color. You will find that a great deal of pride goes into everything that I make. If I’m not happy with it, it won’t leave my shop!

This site is primarily set up as a gallery of pieces that I’ve created. Some, I still have and are for sale. You will find prices on those items. The others have already found homes. If you find something of interest that does not have a price tag, please feel free to let me know, and we’ll see what can be done about recreating it.

While I am passionate about woodworking, it is not a full time job for me. So, most of my works are custom made. I have no intention of creating as many of any one thing as I can to make the biggest profit margin. I create because I love to, and finding people who appreciate what I’ve done is a bonus. I hope you enjoy what you see. Thanks for browsing.