Our Story
It started with a gift.
After retiring from years of teaching art, Dawn noticed that her church's Nativity was ready for something new. So she decided to create one - not to sell, but to give. Piece by piece, she designed and hand-painted an entire life-size Nativity as a gift to the church.
Somewhere in the process, she discovered how much she loved the work - and an idea for what might come next began to take shape.
For years, Dawn Vinklarek shared her love of art as an art teacher. After retiring, she found herself with something she had not had in quite the same way before - the freedom to create simply because she wanted to.
The beginning of Finch & Timber came not from a business plan, but from a gift.
Dawn had noticed that the Nativity at her church was showing its age and felt called to do something about it. So she set out to create an entirely new one. She designed and hand-painted a collection of nearly life-size wooden figures, building the scene piece by piece, and when it was finished, she gave the entire Nativity to the church.
What began as a gift became a new chapter.
In the process, something unexpected happened: Dawn fell in love with the work.
She loved imagining the characters, finding just the right expressions, bringing them to life with paint, and seeing flat pieces of wood become something filled with personality and meaning. The Nativity had begun as something she wanted to give. By the time it was finished, it had also given something back to her - a glimpse of what this next chapter of her life might look like.
Faith-inspired work remains especially close to Dawn's heart, but her imagination did not stop there. As a proud Texas Aggie '94, it was not long before another beloved character found her way onto the wood: Reveille. From there came the Reveille Collection, and then other special and seasonal characters, storybook-inspired pieces, and whatever else happens to capture Dawn's imagination.
And somewhere along the way, Finch & Timber was born.
Today, every Finch & Timber piece still begins the same way - with Dawn, an idea, and a piece of wood. Each is individually designed, cut, hand-painted, finished, and given its own personality. There is no assembly line and no desire to become one. Finch & Timber gives Dawn the freedom to keep creating things she loves, while giving those pieces the chance to become part of someone else's home, traditions, and memories.
It started with a gift. And in many ways, it still is one.