Joe Garnero was born in Monterey, California. He comes from a family of craftsmen, builders, bakers, potters and sculptors. From an early age, Garnero was influenced by his grandfather. His grandfather was a wood sculptor and had a studio on the property where Garnero grew up.

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 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.