Joe Garnero, a native of Monterey, California, hails from a family of skilled artisans and craftsmen. His family lineage includes a long line of builders, bakers, potters, and sculptors. Growing up, Garnero was captivated by his grandfather's talent for wood sculpting, who maintained a studio on their family property. This early exposure to artistry and creativity served as a significant influence on Garnero's development as an artist. From an early age, he began to explore various art forms and techniques, fostering a deep passion for the visual arts that would later shape his career as an accomplished artist. The artist’s preferred medium is reclaimed Redwood roots. These materials are ethically sourced and were typically broken apart by logging, flooding, and land clearing. Of his work, Garnero states, “The end result represents my depiction of what has taken hundreds of years to form. This inherent form is part of what I follow and the direction I take to end up where I end up. These pieces are forces of nature that are strong, graceful, and enduring.” The use of hand tools plays the biggest role in his work as it allows for a more delicate approach to preserve the integrity of the natural forms. This combination is the basis and inspiration for all of his work.