Dan Shelley discovered the art of crafting willow furniture in 1978 thanks to a copy of The Mother Earth News which his mother always had around. A naturalist at heart, the young craftsman in the making was looking for a way to earn a living using his hands when he came across an article in the publication detailing the process. He loved the natural look and gentle curves of the furniture and decided to try his hand at the craft. Over the span of four decades, Dan has finely honed the art of handcrafting willow furniture while weaving a bit of himself into every piece.  ​Fine craftsmanship and attention to detail are trademarks of each "Dan Shelley Original".  From California's coast to a quaint country home in Texas to a sky-rise apartment in Manhattan, Dan's willow furniture has found a home all over the United States and abroad. Seeing every piece as an opportunity to use his God-given talent to create a unique and special work of art, he personally harvests the willow with a particular style of furniture in mind before meticulously bending and handcrafting each branch to the gentle will of his vision. Special touches like beveled cuts to the ends and other details unique to the artist elevate Dan's work. The process begins in the willow patches of the Pee Dee and semi-coastal areas of South Carolina. However, always on the lookout for the best willow, anywhere the road takes him is an opportunity to gather material. Wearing hip waders and wielding a machete in the heat of summer and the cold of winter, Dan sets out in search of the best patches to harvest the willow. For the first three decades, Dan sold most of his creations at craft shows, mainly in the southeast. Eventually, however, the naturalist who was no fan of even the telephone decided to befriend the world of e-commerce, realizing it would allow him to introduce his work nationwide and reconnect with previous customers from his craft-show days who remain loyal and still add to their collection.     ​Dan's work has been featured in various local and regional publications over the years as well as on the cover of a national home magazine. In the summer of 1985, while manning his booth at Charleston, South Carolina's downtown market, Dan's work was seen by an individual working on the set of the 1987 movie, Made In Heaven, starring Kelley McGillis and Timothy Hutton. From that encounter, Dan was commissioned to create an ornate canopy bed for a scene in the movie. In 2017,  the South Carolina State Museum featured several pieces from Dan's collection as part of "South Carolina Artisans" display. While he appreciates the recognition and attention given to his work, Dan is quick to give all the credit for his talent to Jesus Christ, sighting Colossians 3:23-24, “ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Dan Shelley lives in a log cabin, built solely by his own hands, tucked quietly in the woods of his farm which has been in the Shelley family for nearly eighty years. While eating organic and living off the land is trendy, Dan was raised on the concept. You can say that Dan was organic when organic wasn't cool.  He planted his first garden at the mere age of nine and made a conscious decision as a teenager to earn a living using the land and the resources from which his grandparents toiled and he was blessed to grow up.  When not building willow furniture, you can find Dan tending his bee hives or working in his organic garden. Whether tomatoes in the spring or collards in winter, Dan's food supply is just a walk down a country path away.  If you happen through Marion, South Carolina, stop by and visit Dan's workshop. Be prepared to meet Ginger, a beautiful Mini Jersey Milk Cow along with Ginger's daughter, Sugar Baby, and son, Benji Boy. They share the farm with several American Guinea Hogs, an assortment of chickens, some who lay pastel blue, green, and pink eggs, a flock of guinea fowl, eight ducks, two horses, Penny and Roxanne, and Susie,  the daughter of Dan's beloved four-legged friend, Molly, who passed away after years of loyal service and companionship.  Plus, whoever may have called the homestead home by then.      For fun, Dan plays several instruments including guitar, banjo, and the fiddle. He often leads his church, Friendship Baptist, in praise and worship, fulfilling what he desires most of all from his life, bringing glory to God.