I had the pleasure of attending BKLYNDESIGNS a few years ago and was amazed at the high quality and variety of the work there. Put on annually by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, this year’s show is being held from May 9 through May 11 and will feature 70 exhibitors in four locations around DUMBO, Brooklyn. (DUMBO is one of those hip acronyms that stands for Down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass – it has nothing to do with flying elephants.)
The furniture is cutting-edge and top drawer, but so are the textiles, pottery, jewelry, lighting and other crafts on display. Friend-of-Furnitude Palo Samko will be there. I can see he’s already updated his website with some of his new work. You can also check out the work of Daniel Moyer.
If you are in the New York area, this is a must-attend event. I wish I could make it up there this year! Well, there’s always next year. If you can't attend, check out the list of exhibitors to see their websites. You can find BKLYNDESIGNS at www.brooklyndesigns.net.
Poetry vs. Furniture
When I tell people that I write poetry, they inevitably ask me how I reconcile that with building furniture, as if the two couldn’t be farther apart. They seem kind of dumbfounded when I say that writing poetry and building furniture are very similar in my mind. Both require form; both require art. The only difference is the building material. Poetry is furniture made with words. Furniture is poetry made with wood.
I’d be interested to know how other furniture makers feel about the connection between woodworking and other art forms. Please chime in.
I’ve got some new stuff published at a magazine called The Potomac. Check it out.
I’d be interested to know how other furniture makers feel about the connection between woodworking and other art forms. Please chime in.
I’ve got some new stuff published at a magazine called The Potomac. Check it out.
Furniture I Love: Brian Boggs Edition
Brian Boggs is a chairologist. I’ve never seen anyone with such a scientific approach to making chairs. Boggs has spent his entire adult life studying the progression of the “country chair” from its primitive roots to the modern day, picking and choosing the best features of the chairs and the best approaches to making them, adding his own innovations along the way. Yet when all the study is done, you can also see that his chairs are full of intuition and art. Before going any further with my ramblings, have a look at what I’m talking about:
I think I first learned about Brian Boggs from that truly great but unfortunately now-defunct magazine Home Furniture, which was published by The Taunton Press. The summer 1995 issue featured a piece by Boggs in which he described how he developed his signature chair. These photos are used by permission: Home Furniture, © The Taunton Press, "A Chair Built for Comfort," by Brian Boggs, Issue # 3/Summer 1995). The first photo was taken by Boyd Hagen. Scott Gibson took the others.
I’ve learned from subsequent articles that Boggs has perfected his own kind of joinery, made his own bark removal machine and designed new spokeshaves. In my opinion, Brian Boggs deserves a genius grant from the MacArthur Foundation. I mean that in all sincerity. Boggs is a hero of mine because of how he constantly innovates. His approach – to experiment, to learn and unlearn, to streamline -- is nothing short of inspiring.
The most intriguing part is how he developed the shape of the chair’s back to provide lumbar support. His chairs are beautiful and incredibly well made, but the superior lumbar support sets his chairs apart. To get that support, as he wrote in the Home Furniture article, he drew “a scale drawing of a person sitting on a seat and drew the legs of the chair so that they followed the contours of the person’s back precisely.” And since each of the three back slats has a slightly different curve, he mocked up a plywood form in the shape of a humor torso and made his bending forms around it.
I’ve had the pleasure of sitting in a Boggs chair. From that time on, that was my measure of how comfortable a chair should be. It’s truly astonishing how comfortable it is. Beyond the basic construction, rooted in green woodworking techniques, every detail is impeccable, from the clean facets at the tops of the legs to the pyramid-shaped pegs at the back slats.
Someday I hope to have at least one Boggs chair in my house. I won’t even care that it makes the furniture I've made pale by comparison. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if you’ve got the means, there is no excuse for not owning a Boggs chair. Think of your grandchildren!
I also want to point out that Brian is one of the co-founders, along with Curtis Buchanan and Scott Landis, of GreenWood. See my post on Curtis Buchanan for more information on GreenWood's work. See more of Brian’s work at his website http://www.brianboggschairs.com/.
Special thanks to The Taunton Press for giving me permission to use these photographs.
I think I first learned about Brian Boggs from that truly great but unfortunately now-defunct magazine Home Furniture, which was published by The Taunton Press. The summer 1995 issue featured a piece by Boggs in which he described how he developed his signature chair. These photos are used by permission: Home Furniture, © The Taunton Press, "A Chair Built for Comfort," by Brian Boggs, Issue # 3/Summer 1995). The first photo was taken by Boyd Hagen. Scott Gibson took the others.I’ve learned from subsequent articles that Boggs has perfected his own kind of joinery, made his own bark removal machine and designed new spokeshaves. In my opinion, Brian Boggs deserves a genius grant from the MacArthur Foundation. I mean that in all sincerity. Boggs is a hero of mine because of how he constantly innovates. His approach – to experiment, to learn and unlearn, to streamline -- is nothing short of inspiring.
The most intriguing part is how he developed the shape of the chair’s back to provide lumbar support. His chairs are beautiful and incredibly well made, but the superior lumbar support sets his chairs apart. To get that support, as he wrote in the Home Furniture article, he drew “a scale drawing of a person sitting on a seat and drew the legs of the chair so that they followed the contours of the person’s back precisely.” And since each of the three back slats has a slightly different curve, he mocked up a plywood form in the shape of a humor torso and made his bending forms around it.
I’ve had the pleasure of sitting in a Boggs chair. From that time on, that was my measure of how comfortable a chair should be. It’s truly astonishing how comfortable it is. Beyond the basic construction, rooted in green woodworking techniques, every detail is impeccable, from the clean facets at the tops of the legs to the pyramid-shaped pegs at the back slats.
Someday I hope to have at least one Boggs chair in my house. I won’t even care that it makes the furniture I've made pale by comparison. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if you’ve got the means, there is no excuse for not owning a Boggs chair. Think of your grandchildren!
I also want to point out that Brian is one of the co-founders, along with Curtis Buchanan and Scott Landis, of GreenWood. See my post on Curtis Buchanan for more information on GreenWood's work. See more of Brian’s work at his website http://www.brianboggschairs.com/.
Special thanks to The Taunton Press for giving me permission to use these photographs.
Furniture I Love: John Cameron Edition
John Cameron is another woodworker who took what he learned at the College of the Redwoods and ran with it. I’m so impressed by Cameron’s versatility, from his furniture to his experience in boat-making to his work with engraving. First, have a look at his “16-foot Whitehall pulling boat.” The skill and artistry involved in making a boat this beautiful is beyond my comprehension.
The word that keeps coming to mind in describing Cameron’s work is elegance. This walnut table is elegant from its curved, tapering legs to its subtly-angled drawer. The half-blind dovetails are a thing of beauty.
I also love Cameron’s writing desk in Swiss pear and sassafrass. The drawer has a fall-front which allows the use of a computer keyboard, making this classic desk fit perfectly in a home office.
See more of John Cameron’s work at www.johncameroncabinetmaker.com.
Photos of the boat are by Dave Stotzer. Photos of the desk and tables are by Lance Patterson.
The word that keeps coming to mind in describing Cameron’s work is elegance. This walnut table is elegant from its curved, tapering legs to its subtly-angled drawer. The half-blind dovetails are a thing of beauty.
I also love Cameron’s writing desk in Swiss pear and sassafrass. The drawer has a fall-front which allows the use of a computer keyboard, making this classic desk fit perfectly in a home office.
See more of John Cameron’s work at www.johncameroncabinetmaker.com.
Photos of the boat are by Dave Stotzer. Photos of the desk and tables are by Lance Patterson.
Furniture I Love: John Sterling Edition
I’m very happy that I found out about John Sterling’s furniture. His style is somewhat eclectic, which I like to see, and he has a meticulous concern for detail that I find inspiring. For instance, on his Remnant Cabinet of resawn and bookmatched spalted maple panels with a curly maple case, the finish is “multiple coats of amber shellac which was then polished to a high gloss with automotive swirl remover.” The effect is positively luminous.
Speaking of luminosity, his Luminaria Table is what drew my attention to his work in the first place. As a simple form, the piece is really beautiful. But Sterling adds his own surprises by making the base and legs out of curly maple and the top out of quartersawn sycamore. The glass panels were salvaged from a window in an old hotel.
In an attempt to take advantage of scrap, John started making these beautiful boxes. The ring boxes have a ring holder and are lined with Japanese fabrics.
For a departure to his roots in the Arts & Crafts tradition, he started the Shibui line to play with organic forms. In the Shibui table, I love how the live edges of two boards are turned in on themselves to form the unique top.
John offers his work on his website, www.jcsterling.com, and at various craft shows throughout the year. See his website for details.
Finally, I’m happy to include a link to the Blue Butterfly Fund, a nonprofit organization founded by John and his wife Elizabeth. The Blue Butterfly Fund provides financial and emotional support to families whose children have cancer. Please visit the website at www.bluebutterflyfund.org.
Photos are by Terry Wild.
Speaking of luminosity, his Luminaria Table is what drew my attention to his work in the first place. As a simple form, the piece is really beautiful. But Sterling adds his own surprises by making the base and legs out of curly maple and the top out of quartersawn sycamore. The glass panels were salvaged from a window in an old hotel.
In an attempt to take advantage of scrap, John started making these beautiful boxes. The ring boxes have a ring holder and are lined with Japanese fabrics.
For a departure to his roots in the Arts & Crafts tradition, he started the Shibui line to play with organic forms. In the Shibui table, I love how the live edges of two boards are turned in on themselves to form the unique top.
John offers his work on his website, www.jcsterling.com, and at various craft shows throughout the year. See his website for details.
Finally, I’m happy to include a link to the Blue Butterfly Fund, a nonprofit organization founded by John and his wife Elizabeth. The Blue Butterfly Fund provides financial and emotional support to families whose children have cancer. Please visit the website at www.bluebutterflyfund.org.
Photos are by Terry Wild.
Furniture I Love: Gale Satterlee Edition
Chairs are one of the most challenging things to make because they’ve not only got to stay together and look beautiful, they have to be comfortable. Gale Satterlee’s amazing deck chairs take it up a notch. They fold up! This chair is strong but it also flexes to give maximum support and comfort. And I’ll bet they’ll last a lifetime.
Gale also makes other kinds of outdoor and indoor furniture. See more of his work at www.galesatterlee.com.
Photos are by Matt Gubancsik.
Gale also makes other kinds of outdoor and indoor furniture. See more of his work at www.galesatterlee.com.
Photos are by Matt Gubancsik.
What's the deal with...Etsy?
For those of you who aren’t madly addicted yet (and notice I say yet) to Etsy, here’s a little primer on this site for buying and selling handmade items. For those who make things, Etsy is a great place to get your work out there. For those who buy things, Etsy is a great place to find things you never would have seen otherwise.
You can buy all kinds of things on Etsy, from the cute-as-a-button, to the downright strange, to the one-of-a-kind object that might just make your room. There’s a lot of woodworking on Etsy. Like any democratic platform, you’re going to find schlock-o’plenty. But you’ll also find some really well-done, unique things.
The way it works is pretty simple. If you are selling, sign up for a free account and then set up a free store. You do have to enter your credit card info because that’s how they charge you at the end of the month for the fees you’ve incurred. The fee system is very reasonable. They charge 20 cents for each item listed and 3.5% for each item sold. That’s pretty much it. The majority of sales are handled through paypal. So if you don’t already have a paypal account, you’ll need to set that up. You can customize your store with your own banner and language. Oh yeah, for each item you can upload up to five photos and you can categorize the item so people will be able to find it when they are browsing around. Of course, read the Etsy's help sections for the full scoop.
If you are buying, you also need to set up a free account. It allows you to post feedback on your purchase experience and read feedback from others, which helps you feel like the person you are buying from is legit.
So if you make small, shippable objects, you should check out Etsy. Likewise if you buy small, shippable objects. Just remember to stop and bathe once in a while.
You can see some of my stuff at Humanhands.etsy.com and Kerf.etsy.com.
You can buy all kinds of things on Etsy, from the cute-as-a-button, to the downright strange, to the one-of-a-kind object that might just make your room. There’s a lot of woodworking on Etsy. Like any democratic platform, you’re going to find schlock-o’plenty. But you’ll also find some really well-done, unique things.
The way it works is pretty simple. If you are selling, sign up for a free account and then set up a free store. You do have to enter your credit card info because that’s how they charge you at the end of the month for the fees you’ve incurred. The fee system is very reasonable. They charge 20 cents for each item listed and 3.5% for each item sold. That’s pretty much it. The majority of sales are handled through paypal. So if you don’t already have a paypal account, you’ll need to set that up. You can customize your store with your own banner and language. Oh yeah, for each item you can upload up to five photos and you can categorize the item so people will be able to find it when they are browsing around. Of course, read the Etsy's help sections for the full scoop.
If you are buying, you also need to set up a free account. It allows you to post feedback on your purchase experience and read feedback from others, which helps you feel like the person you are buying from is legit.
So if you make small, shippable objects, you should check out Etsy. Likewise if you buy small, shippable objects. Just remember to stop and bathe once in a while.
You can see some of my stuff at Humanhands.etsy.com and Kerf.etsy.com.
Furniture I Love: Brian Hubel Edition
There is a spareness to Brian Hubel's work that puts it right in the range of the Modern style influenced, for one example, by George Nakashima. Like Nakashima, Hubel has a few tables with tops made of burl and left in their original shape. He also has incredible pieces like this two-seater bench, called Flare, that has a spare design to get out of the way of the beautiful wood. This piece, with its thick sides and floating seats, seems to get its balance from traditional Japanese designs, which certainly influenced Nakashima and even the Arts & Crafts movement. Ornamentation on a piece like this, even if it were some kind of stylized edging, would be silly and distracting. The elemental shapes, combined with the rich wood, are all that is necessary.
Another example of restraint for the purpose of letting the elemental forms and beautiful wood speak for themselves is this clock. The craftsmanship here and in the rest of Hubel’s work is quite impressive.
Enjoy more of Brian Hubel’s work at www.hubelhi.com. Photos are by Don Jones Photography.
Another example of restraint for the purpose of letting the elemental forms and beautiful wood speak for themselves is this clock. The craftsmanship here and in the rest of Hubel’s work is quite impressive.
Enjoy more of Brian Hubel’s work at www.hubelhi.com. Photos are by Don Jones Photography.
Furniture I Love: Harold Greene Edition
It’s fitting that Harold Greene’s last name is Greene, since his furniture is so in line with the work of the famous Greene brothers. Harold works in the Arts & Crafts tradition but departs from it to make his own distinctive style. Have a look at the details of his Peony cabinet. The form of it is amazing in itself, but Greene takes it to a higher level with a lotus flower inlay, hand-carved ocean waves on the lower apron and the magnificent peony flower pull. He carved the pull in wax and then it was cast in bronze at a local foundry. (See Harold’s article on the process of bronze casting in the current issue – No. 197, March/April 2008 – of Fine Woodworking Magazine.
To show the range of his style and skill, see this sculptural rocking chair that looks as comfortable as it is beautiful.
And now for something completely different, check out Greene’s rockin' electric bass guitar.
See more of Harold Greene’s work at his website, www.antiquesofthefuture.net.
Photos: Bass and rocker are by Bruce Ecker. The Peony cabinet is by Kathleen Seixas.
To show the range of his style and skill, see this sculptural rocking chair that looks as comfortable as it is beautiful.
And now for something completely different, check out Greene’s rockin' electric bass guitar.
See more of Harold Greene’s work at his website, www.antiquesofthefuture.net.
Photos: Bass and rocker are by Bruce Ecker. The Peony cabinet is by Kathleen Seixas.
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