I recently completed this pair of coffee tables for a patient customer. They were made from a local fruit cherry tree.
The client wanted two tables that could be used together or independently. Both tables were physically identical, with minor character differences.
The design was the client’s, but I was allowed creative license. One of the customer’s requests was for dark inlay in the tops and I couldn’t resist doing this.
This is the fifteenth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.
Power carving is unlike working with hand tools because you can remove wood without regard for grain direction or knots. To me, this is liberating as I can focus on form.
As I work, I constantly ask myself, “Do I want to save this section or obliterate it? My sculpting approach is to simply remove the parts I don’t like and leave the parts that please me. I often emphasize form and encourage the sculpture to be caressed by using a combination of hard and soft edges (something I learned from the work of Sam Maloof).
Although I use an angle grinder with a power carving attachment to establish the rough shape, the final shaping is done with abrasives – first on a sander, then in my hand. The sanding stage is perhaps the most critical stage of sculpting and I spend more time sanding sculptures than I do carving them.
The sculpture shown here is made of Pacific yew with a concrete base. It will be for sale in my store when I finalize the price.
This is the thirteenth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.
Some of my recent designs have involved complex angled joinery, such as the base of this table inspired by a sketch by Vic Hubbard. I was having a hard time visualizing in my head how the joinery would work, so I built a prototype to help me understand.
Since it’s only a prototype to explore the mechanics of the base, I didn’t bother to make the top with the fancy joinery where one V penetrates the edges. The base was made from two Vs joined with cross laps for a strong connection. For the top I chose a piece of cherry that tapered in width, to match the footprint of the base and I secured it with dowels.
This is the twelfth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.
As a table it works, but not very well. However, I now know how to improve the next one.
You can see more pictures and read details of this table here.
Many woodworkers are technically skilled and able to create an item exactly as detailed in a plan. Some lack the willingness to take risks and push the boundaries. Technical skills are important, but they only get you so far.
Creativity and problem solving are key skills for anyone making original work. For me, design is very instinctual and I rely on my intuition. Most of the design decisions I make cannot be made until I’m looking at the materials in front of me.
I believe that woodworkers who are able to adapt to the unique materials and circumstances are more capable of producing something special than someone following a design to the letter.
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
You can find this quote among many others on my pages Quotables and Quotes from Woodwork.
This is the ninth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.
A Box Called “Tolerences”
Last weekend, I attended a private gathering of 40 of Port Moody’s top artists. To help everyone get to know each other, we were given an activity. We were each given a list with everyone’s name and we were to say “hi” to everyone else and share two words that represent an inspiration to us. To keep things interesting, I used a variety of words, often dependent on the person with whom I was talking.
Here are some of the words that I used, and a brief explanation of their meaning to me.
From my perspective, one line represents an arris (an edge). Two lines make a surface. Many of my sculpted edge treatments begin when I think, “what would the surface look like if these lines were connected?”. (See Table with a Twist.)
The way that light interacts with a piece is very interesting and has a great effect on how the piece is perceived. The angle of the surfaces and degree of polish determines how it reflects light. Opaque materials block light and create shadows while translucent materials tint light.
The idea of having infinite options is overwhelming. It is much easier to create when there are parameters established. (See Endurance.)
The visual weight of an object is determined by where the empty space is within its cube (overall size). A large cabinet atop spindly legs can appear lightweight, perhaps even floating, while a chest sitting directly on the ground feels very solid and immobile.
Part of the fun for me, as a creator, is watching people interact with the finished piece. Many people walk right up to it and run their hand along it. Others stand back and drink in the form of the piece with their eyes or admire the beauty of the wood. (See Relationship Study.)
Tactile properties add another dimension (pun intended). A lightly textured or contoured surface begs to be felt and invites the user to stay a moment. It also captures light differently and highlights the irregular surface. (See Flow.)
Art is all about expression, and what better place to start than with an idea? (See A Box Called “Necessessity”)
The natural beauty and character of wood is very inspiring. The colours, grain pattern, knots, and live edges guide me when I am in need of direction. I am also intrigued by the properties of other materials such as metal, glass, ceramics and resins. (See Deconstructed.)
A white surface is plain, but if there is a black line across it, then it suddenly becomes interesting. A smooth surface is ordinary but with the addition of texture, it becomes richer. Without something to compare to, things simply don’t have the same impact. Of course, subtlety is useful at times. (See Maple Slab Table.)
Live edges and the variations that are a natural part of wood are just as dramatic as anything that can be made by Man. (See Cribbage Board 1, 2 and 3.)
If given too much thought, many ideas would never be realized. Instead of over-thinking a concept, I try to produce it in real life. Whether or not I like the outcome, I benefit from practicing my skills in building the model and visualizing the process.
I am always looking for new ideas to try. When working on an unfamiliar shape, I work slowly and evaluate my process frequently. Sometimes, while working on one shape, I discover another shape I like part way through the process. (See Sculpted Ash Table.)
This is the eighth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.
Fellow woodworker and blogger Kenny Comeaux recently interviewed me about design and inspiration.
Read the whole interview on his blog, The Wood Ninja.
This is the sixth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.
Ash Chair (and Inspiration)
Inspiration and Initial Experimentation
Prototype #1
Prototype #2
Prototype #3
David Savage is a name that you might know. He is a UK woodworker with over 30 years of experience and a very distinctive style of furniture.
Love Chairs, version 4 by David Savage
David teaches woodworking and contemporary furniture design at Rowden Farm Atelier and recently released his book, Furniture with Soul, a book which looks at the journeys and work of 20 accomplished, contemporary woodworkers. There is a lot of very useful information for a woodworker on his website and a great, if sporadic, newsletter where I found this story which I was compelled to share.
When I was a young guy I had a girl friend called Sandra. Her Dad, Ken Bulmer, was a joiner, this was waaaayy back in the Sixties. “I’ve got to find a second hand book cabinet for all my text books” I told Ken one evening after supper. I was the smart kid going off to college, “Don’t go spending your money lad” said Ken, “we will make you one”. (Note the “we”). Well, we went out the back to Ken’s shed, he pulled out bits of plywood and two or three long pieces of reddish wood with a dark shiny veneer on one side that had done a job somewhere else, then Ken had pulled them out of the refit to bring home. “This will do” Without much fussing he took a short stubby pencil from behind his ear marked a few lines with a battered square then began sawing. Hold that end up lad… The saw had a high rasping note that I now always listen for.
Within minutes Ken was sawing mitre ends and truing them with a small hand plane. He then cut housings for the two shelves and quickly fitted them, pinning the joints with small nails that he punched beneath the surface, filling the hole with “Brummer.” [Note: Brummer is a brand name of wood filler.] Now we had a structure and I was sent to get two cups of tea. On the back he cut and fitted a Masonite board to make it rigid. We now had THE BOOKCASE. By the time he had finished it was late, I guess about Ten O’ Clock, and “we” had made a cabinet.
Seeing someone do that up close has gone a long way to inspire me to become the person I am. Ken Bulmer – thank you. The world needs to be engaged in stuff that gives that kind of satisfaction. Just buying and nailing and running away does not do it. We need to feel what Rich feels; satisfaction in doing something as well as we can. Pat on the back, hell, that does not go anywhere near…
Inspiration fuels me. When I am inspired, I have seemingly limitless energy. When I’m not inspired, I employ a few strategies to try to rekindle that fire. One of them is experimentation which is fun and a good way to practice woodworking.
I usually start with a piece of wood about 18″ long and square in profile. Then, using straight edges, drawing bows, and french curves, I draw a line on each of the faces of the wood. With a sharp 1″ chisel oriented bevel down, I remove the material between each pair of lines. On the examples shown, the crisp edges are where my layout lines were.
This simple exercise utilizes scraps of wood to improve chisel technique, knowledge of wood properties, and my design sense. Most importantly, it’s a quick activity that gets me into the shop creating!
I have been planning and researching for my PechaKucha Night presentation at Coquitlam’s Evergreen Cultural Centre next month and while looking for a particular quote, I came across this one which you can now find, among many others, on my page titled Quotables.
“Basically the woodworker is not driven by commerce, but by a need to create the best object he is capable of creating.”
- George Nakashima
The quote which I was looking for went something like this, and if you know the exact quote, author or source, please let me know.
Mother Nature is a great designer and it would be a mistake to remove her influence.
- ???
Today, I completed Deconstructed, making it the first piece of 2013. Although there are a couple of things that didn’t go the way I wanted, I am very happy with the result. I find myself loving it more the longer I am around it. (The same can be said with most of my woodwork.)
The shelf is 23″ x 7″ x 3.5″ thick. The Crystal Clear resin is 1″ thick. You can see some air bubbles in the back right section of the casting where it meets the wood which are a result of the resin curing too quickly.
The transition between the wood and resin is perfectly smooth – the seam is indistinguishable to the fingertips. I am particularly happy with this result.
When viewed from below, it is more obvious that the three wood pieces were actually one piece at one time but are now separate.
At the left, you can see that parts of the end grain are darker because resin was allowed to penetrate the surface. (Next time, I will prefinish the wood parts to prevent this.)
You can read about the build process step-by-step in the following five Tweet-Along sessions:
I have not decided whether I will list this piece in my Store, but it is in my Gallery (which showcases my past work regardless of whether or not it is for sale).
