Wood talks. That may sound crazy, but it's true and I try to listen to it as much as I can." |
I create both speculative and custom pieces. The process for creating each is the same, except that custom projects are preceded by detailed discussion with the client about what the intended purpose is, where it may be placed in the home or office, other colors that make up the décor and what pitfalls need to be avoided. If possible, I visit the location where the piece will be—particularly when precise measurements are important.
|
TRULY UNIQUE
My pieces are one-of-a-kind and have been built for very specific spaces in individual homes. I craft custom pieces--benches, desks, tables, bookcases, boxes, serving trays, cutting boards--based on the narrative of the wood.
Project Conception
I'm not a draftsman and I generally do only the roughest of sketches of a piece I'm making because I know it will change as it's being made. For complicated and challenging projects, I often make a scale schematic, like the one here, that is primarily to work out the engineering. A table, for example, has to stand on its own and be capable of carrying any load intended for it, for example, and function dictates form. The usually unseen undercarriage supporting that table is what enables it to do its job.
|
Material Selection
Next, I go out and get the wood. I select each piece individually and then, when I get it to my shop, I typically spend a few hours looking at it, identifying features to be emphasized and problems to be avoided. The materials are most often purchased from hardwood suppliers, but I am always on alert for found materials, especially including forklift pallets. Recently, I rescued an old growth Douglas fir door from the side of the street in my neighborhood.
|
Item Production
Then, I start work. Often, the design concept that I have in my head is altered along the way to take advantage of some particular aspect of the wood's beauty. The process of adapting to what the wood says continues all the way until the project is completed, including sanding and finishing. I occasionally incorporate non-wood components in a piece—sheet metal and copper piping are favorites—but I don't use stain or paint. In the end, the wood speaks for itself and my job is to let it find its voice.
|
FROM CONCEPTION TO COMPLETION
I sketch rarely, but when a scale rendering of the engineering elements of a piece require, I do one. The image above is the sketch itself and the bottom photograph is the piece, from the bottom, showing execution of the engineering drawing.
|
|
up·cy·cle
ˈəpˌsīkəl/
verb
gerund or present participle: upcycling
ˈəpˌsīkəl/
verb
gerund or present participle: upcycling
- reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original.
"the opportunity to upcycle trash, or turn it into new products, was vast"
|
What many people call trash, I call an invaluable source of beautiful woods. If you think about it, an incredible amount of hardwood goes to the landfill or the fire pit unnecessarily. White and red oak, and even mahogany, can be found readily in discarded wood shipping products, since things like pallets are made worldwide from whatever wood is cheapest locally. That means that hardwoods frequently appear in such items. So I make a habit of upcycling, or repurposing, woods from pallets and shipping crates, as well as discarded furniture. You’ll find some wood that’s getting a new lease on life in nearly everything I make.
|