Woodwork is my favourite magazine by far.  The content goes well beyond the how-to and tool reviews on which most magazines like to focus.  You can read more of my thoughts on Woodwork in THIS POST.

As I read through my collection of Woodwork, I am compiling a list of quotes that I like.  Some are good advice, others humourous, and others thought-provoking.  I do not necessarily agree with them, but found them interesting.  I hope you find them interesting as well.  As I make my way though the back issues, I will continue to add quotes, so check back here periodically.

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“‘… It’s not that there’s not a demand for fine woodworking – it’s that there’s a demand for fine woodworking with imagination.  The things that are considered classic now weren’t classic when they were conceived, they were innovative and imaginative.  The first Windsor chair was a work of art.  The 2,000th was just a copy.’” – Victor Di Novi

Victor Di Novi, Outlaw Woodworkers: A Compendium of Unorthodox Ideas by Robert Bruce Duncan in Woodwork #3, p. 37, ¶2

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“‘Often I’ll conceive and execute a project just because it’s something I want to do, not necessarily because I think it will sell.  Most woodworkers don’t allow themselves this freedom.’” – Victor Di Novi

Victor Di Novi, Outlaw Woodworkers: A Compendium of Unorthodox Ideas by Robert Bruce Duncan in Woodwork #3, p. 37, ¶14

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“Things like patternmaking, efficient use of materials and adapting machinery are all factors in the process of making a better product at a lower price.” – Tom Toldrian

From Alligators To Ergonomics: A Creative Woodworker by Tom Toldrian in Woodwork #6, p. 40, ¶10

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“If you remain insensitive to the individual characteristics of the material you are working with and cut regardless to a predetermined, exact measurement, then the finished piece will lack a certain wholeness and be little better than something you could have bought from a factory.” – Graham Blackburn

A Glazed Credenza by Graham Blackburn in Woodwork #6, p. 65, ¶1

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“Ultimately, if the market becomes the primary incentive for creative energy and the development of these objects [turnings], the actual aesthetic development will most likely not develop or progress in pure form.” – David Ellsworth

The State Of Turning:  Reflections On Last Year’s AAW Symposium by Dick and Nancy Gerald, p. 79, ¶4

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“in craft ‘design, function and technique come first; in art, form and content come first.’” – Stephen Whittlesey

Stephen Whitlesey Makes Art From Debris by Marc Sawn in Woodwork #9, p. 33, ¶7

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“”He builds with the reverence for technical perfection that one could expect in someone who uses two belt sanders, loaded with 60-grit, cross-grain, at once.” – Terrie Noll on Art Carpenter

Art Carpenter: Building On A Lifestyle, A Master and His Influences by Terrie Noll in Woodwork #12, p.39, ¶3

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“If it bothers you that the chair is askew, just go to your local furniture store and look at chairs until you feel better.” – Brian Boggs

A Ladderback Rocker by Brian Boggs in Woodwork #12, p. 48, ¶8

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“‘Of course I would like the business to make money so that my family lives comfortably, but I think the most important measure of success is making sure that the daily process of my life has meaning, and that it feels worthwhile.’” – Gene Agress

Berkeley Mill Work Furniture Co.: An eclectic mix of talent producing a result greater than the sum of its parts by Tom Toldrian in Woodwork #13, p. 38, ¶5

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“‘Too many times woodworkers make something and think it’s nice, but it doesn’t solve problems for people.” – Rich Robertson

Wooden Kitchen Utensils: Rich Robertson’s Reproductions From The Bishop Hill Colony – a Swedish communal society of the mid-nineteenth century by Dianne Beetler in Woodwork #15, p. 58, ¶4

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“Sometimes very unorthodox procedures result in outstanding results” – Tom Wisshack

Creating a Patina with Milk-Based Paints: Experimentation is the key to authentic effects by Tom Wisshack in Woodwork #24, p. 61, ¶9

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“My work is a reflection of what is going on in my life.  You take a pathway that leads to consequences, both good and bad.  Work will reflect that if you trust your intuition.” – Todd Hoyer

Todd Hoyer: Pathways and Choices by Terry Martin in Woodwork #118, p. 30, ¶6