JAY O'REAR
Carpenter/Woodworker/Artist,
with a degree in design from Harvard University, an early background in photography and filmmaking and over forty years experience in the building trades. From framing new houses to remodeling and additions, to historic restoration, furniture and cabinetmaking, to fine finish carpentry and trim, collaborating with other artists in metal and beyond, I bring a wide range of experience and skills to every project, along with a true passion for the work that I do.    

About Dragonfly Woodworks:
After ten years plying my trade in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania,  I started Dragonfly Woodworks on a mountainside in Vermont in the mid 80's. There, while raising a family over the next 15 years, we fully restored our terribly run-down classic 200-year old farmhouse, built a 1600 square foot woodworking shop, saved the old barn, and tended a huge vegetable garden. 
     And around the same time each year, like clockwork, dragonflies would hatch out by the thousands, all at once filling the air from the ground up to about 100 feet above us. So in honor of that amazing event, we named the business Dragonfly Woodworks. That name and its namesake  then followed our migration in 2001 from  Vermont to the stunning landscape of the Sonoran Desert.
    Over the past 15 years in Arizona, my work has been increasingly inspired by the overwhelming beauty and power of the  High Desert landscape and the rich cultural history and architecture of the region.
     That said, the core mission of Dragonfly remains very basic, which is that every project is a collaboration. We start with your "wish list", from practical concerns, to whimsical fantasies. We help you to choose from the vast array of building solutions available today, from traditional to green to space-age building materials. We draw up a plan, and then we stay in touch throughout the building process. As the project evolves, it always develops a "life of its own", often begging for some modifications of, or departure from the original plan. And this is where that close collaboration becomes crucial to achieving the best possible outcome.