Michael K. O’Beirne is a retired U.S. Navy Civil Engineering Corps (SEABEES) veteran of 27 years, originally born and raised in Glens Falls, NY. I met him at Ko’Olina Beach Park, where he took photos of his handmade wooden artwork for his newly established small business, “obeirnesoriginals.com.” During our conversation, he spoke about his passion for woodworking, which came from his childhood as the son of a Master Carpenter. Throughout which he would often work on wood projects with his father. Amidst the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, he started gluing together various pieces of wood, carving them into surfboards as gifts for his friends and family. He sought to turn his love for woodworking into his job post-retirement. As he explained, he wanted a stress-free job where he could be his boss. He is working to get his artwork into local craft shows and galleries
