Some of the key inventions and discoveries in the alchemist-inspired lab, from left to right: fire (candles on wall); printing press; computer (keyboard); the table under the window includes batteries, a perpetual motion machine (yet to be perfected!), and a television (showing lunar landing); the central table includes CDs, futuristic flat-screen viewer (showing Apollo 11 liftoff), calculator, notebook (with a sketch of a rocket surrounded by stars), simple DNA model, gears, flashlight (sheet of paper lists options for naming this invention), a Rube Goldberg-inspired device with a Newton's Cradle, and an hourglass; toward the rear wall is a test rocket, electric motor, and wheel; pictures on the wall show the history of flight from the hot air balloon and dirigible to the prop plane, jet plane, and space shuttle; shelves in the middle rear of the illustration store a spyglass, light bulbs, microscope, and telephone.

Mr. Wood's children's books, written by Audrey Wood, have earned critical acclaim. They include Ten Little Fish, Alphabet Adventure, and Alphabet Mystery. Mr. Wood is a fifth-generation artist, the son of children's author Audrey Wood and illustrator Don Wood, and the grandson of artist Edwin Brewer. Coming from such a creative family had its advantages. One year for his birthday, his parents made him a kid-sized cardboard castle out of refrigerator boxes in their backyard. It took him a few years to realize that not all parents were as creative as his!

He got his first computer when he was in the fourth grade, and immediately became fascinated with all the creative possibilities it offered. He and his friends spent hours after school creating games and animations on the computer. It was his interest in how companies made computer games that ultimately led him to 3-D digital design.

"I'm using a medium that allows me to combine all the things I enjoy. I use elements of drama, art, photography, drawing, painting, and sculpture. The computer can be a very creative tool."

Find out more about Bruce Wood