If I Were Three

It has been a few years since I was three, but I think if I were, I could play with these blocks all day long.
Random sizes, randomly painted, who could ask for more?
I think it is pretty darn close to impossible to avoid creating a visual masterpiece, regardless of how they are stacked.
The possibilities are endless.Each master piece is ephemeral, made once, never to be seen again, but who cares, the next will be better still.
They are made with pine and milk paint. I had never used milk paint before so I was interested to learn more about it. It is completely safe, essentially edible, made with milk proteins, limestone, and natural pigments. They are the some of the oldest paints of human history, found on cave paintings. It acts more like a stain than a modern paint so there are no brush marks left behind. Surprisingly, I couldn't find any suppliers nearby so I ordered some samples from these very nice people in Maine. When I started using it I realized that I've seen a lot of studio furniture makers use them, like David Hurwitz and Mark Del Guidice, but didn't know exactly what I was looking at. I couldn't figure out how they avoided brush marks so impeccably. It is also compliments contemporary furniture by giving a contrasting old/antique-esque look to the work.

I think I should have made a set for myself. Maybe I'll get lucky and learn that three-year-olds find them useless.

Hurry, Buy Woodwork (Magazine) Now, Please!

Please, don't walk, run to your closest newsstand (or go online here) and purchase the annual issue of Woodwork (magazine). I picked up my copy yesterday and have to say that, in spite of the financial problems, it is still a tremendous resource for people interested in wood art. This issue features great profiles on both established (David Ellsworth) and emerging (Yuri Kobayashi) artists; an interesting perspective/review on wood art being shown at of the Philadelphia Craft Show; great images a number of wood art/furniture shows (congratulations to David Hurwitz for the inclusion of his large taffy mirror); an interesting article on Korean furniture/aesthetic; an interesting bio on Emil Milan; an good discussion by Andy Glantz on working with clients; and interesting articles by both Yoav Liberman and Michelle Janssens Keller on the thought process that goes into making a piece of furniture.

In looking through the magazine I noticed a disturbing lack of advertisements. Hopefully, if enough people run out and buy a copy (or copies - they could make a great gift) they can get more advertisements for future issues and continue to publish this great magazine. I think part of their problem is that they are straddling the worlds of woodworkers and art collectors/galleries but that the art collectors and galleries aren't aware of it. If collectors bought the magazine, galleries would advertise in it. Perhaps it is a tough sell, and maybe too specialized for the market, but I see their competition being closer to AmericanStyle and American Craft then it is Fine Woodworking. Perhaps they should scrap the furniture construction articles all together. I don't read them and I can't image people are buying it to find out how to build something. They look out of place and I'm sure most of there readers are beyond following someone else's designs. There are many other woodworking magazines that give step by step instructions on furniture construction and that appeal more to people that need it. In addition, those kinds of article would really intimated/alienate the collector/gallery readers. Their subtitle is "A magazine for all woodworkers" but that may be too broad a goal in the woodworking world while limiting their audience in the art/craft world.

Anyway, I hope they can continue to publish this important magazine and I beg you to go out and buy a copy. Once a year just isn't adequate and never again would be a tragedy.

Woodstock Show Debrief

I participated in the Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival in Woodstock, VT for the 3rd year during the last weekend in September. I set up early on Friday before most people were there so it was a pleasant surprise to arrive on Saturday morning and find that several new, and very talented, furniture makers were participating this year. The show keeps getting better and better and it is quickly becoming, without a doubt, one of the top furniture shows (based on quality) in the country.

My work is somewhat out of place but the show is close by, inexpensive, and draws a group of people that should also be interested in my art, so I keep doing it. I've sold two pieces in each of the last two years but this year was real weird. Plenty of people in attendance, probably more than previous years, but no sales -- I'm sure the economy was to blame because nobody else seemed to be making sales either. Regardless of the number of sales, the show is still good exposure, you never know where it will lead.

A big surprise at the show was the new entry of Brian Bright. Although he graduated with an MFA from the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology School for American Crafts several years ago (whose alum also include David Hurwitz and Leah Woods), he had been toiling away creating very high end board room furniture with WallGoldfinger (their clients include all the top Wall Street investment banks, when I visited the shop a while ago they were working on "The Situation Room" for the White House) until the economic downturn gave him the inspiration and time to set up his own studio. His work demonstrates both fine artistry and craft that seems to play with the tension between asymmetry and balance. He is definitely someone to watch as his work progresses.

©Brian Bright

©Brian Bright

©Brian Bright

©Brian Bright

Another top level new entry to the show, but someone who is already very established, was Eric Sprenger. His contemporary designs have a light and welcoming appearance while also being big and sturdy.

©Eric Sprenger

For example, both the dining table and coffee table below are made with big hunks of wood but the table tops are floating above them rather than resting on the hunks.

©Eric Sprenger

I especially like the panels he used for the display. He said that they hadn't been used for a show in a long time and in the interim he let them be used by his hometown of Wilmington, VT for an event and the kid decorated them. I think they did a great job.

©Eric Sprenger

©Eric Sprenger

The show also gave me a chance to meet Timothy Clark, the famed cabinetmaker/chairwright. Windsor chairs are typically very traditional and a bit stodgy, not having changed much in over two hundred years of manufacturing, so Timothy should really be applauded for coming up with a contemporary twist (separating the arm rest from the back rails) that makes it simultaneously elegant/sturdy and modern/traditional.

©Timothy Clark

©Timothy Clark

His largest and most impressive commission to date is this amazing settee purchased by the Park Hyatt in Washington, DC. At 29'4" (with 206 rails), it had to be constructed in 3 sections, yet even with a close inspection it is hard to find where the joints are.

David Hurwitz was also at the show and, although he had very little time to create new work, he managed to finish this great new mirror (the cherry didn't have time to get a red/brown patina).

©David Hurwitz

The angled curves and tails at the beginning and end give it much more movement than his other waves (see neighboring mirrors). A nice addition to his portfolio. Perhaps he will be integrating the design in to furniture pieces as well.

My booth was across from ClearLake Furniture so I heard a lot about this impressive quarter sawn white oak round table.

They have a contract to create 60 of these for The Taft School, a private boys boarding school in Connecticut, as part of a $30 million renovation of their dining room. The table is a rock. Made with 1.5 inch boards, it weighs close to 400lbs. Thankfully, it breaks into two pieces of about equal weight. Normally, ClearLake creates pieces one at a time with one woodworker on each piece, start to finish, so production work like this is a big change but also a welcome source of income.

An interesting addition to the show was the Naked Table Project, conceived and organized by Charles Shackleton and Miranda Thomas. The idea is to promote sustainable forestry, woodworking, and agriculture. Participants pay around $650 to assemble and finish a table, over two days, that is made with sustainably harvested, locally grown, sugar maple; finished with Vermont Natural Coatings' environmentally safe whey-based finish; and inaugurated with a diner party featuring locally grown/raised food.

Here are the participants at the beginning of the project, sanding the table tops and preparing it for the finish. I think that is Andrew Meyer (in the middle with sweater and khakis), owner of Vermont Natural Coatings, giving some instructions. I have to say, they do have a great product. I got a sample at last year's show and compared it with General Finishes High Performance Poly (Fine Woodworking's top choice for water-based finishes) and I thought VNC was every bit as good if not better. The viscosity is very low so it goes on smooth but it still has a high percentage of solids so it builds up very fast. Two coats seemed to be plenty whereas with most other polyurathanes that I've used, three seems to be the minimum. Also, the fact that there are no noxious VOCs associated with it is a huge plus. You can be use it indoors without ventilation and have no fear of causing brain damage.

Here are the finished tables prior to their inaugural meal. They are nice study tables made with mortise and tenons that are pegged together. I don't think ShackletonThomas is making much if any money on the project, rather, it is an honest attempt to promote sustainability.

Kit Clark displayed this Maloof inspired rocker as part of the Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers booth. Not to take anything away from Kit, because it is a very nice - and comfortable - chair, but I think it speaks to how great a designer/woodworker Sam Maloof was that none of the rockers he has inspired come close to his artistry. His chairs are so organic and welcoming, they take on a life of their own. The great thing about Kit's chair is the gentle give of the back rest that contours to the body of anyone who sits in it. The back rails of his chair are laminate so they are both strong and flexible. If you can't afford an original Maloof, this is a nice substitute.

©Kit Clark

Another studio furniture maker that really raises the level of the show is the work of William LeBerge. His arts and crafts inspired furniture is meticulously designed and constructed. Very impressive work.

©William LeBerge

©William LeBerge

Also participating in the show are a number of larger companies that create good solid furniture one at a time, such as Maple Corner Woodworks, Pompanoosuc Mills, Copeland Furniture, and the already mentioned ClearLake Furniture as well as ShackletonThomas. They aren't really doing production work, each order is custom, but they have a large number of existing designs that customers can choose. There presence gives a nice balance to the numerous studio furniture makers. Below is an image of a new piece by Maple Corner Woodworks.

©Maple Corner Woodworks

They said that the structure is an existing design but that they just started blending walnut with maple. I like the style. I think blending different color woods together raises the aesthetics of a piece. It makes it much more interesting.

I plan to be back next year and hope the show continues to improve. Hopefully, the economy will turn by then and it will draw more buyers.

David Hurwitz Profile (Part II)

The following is a continuation of my profile of David Hurwitz that I posted a couple of weeks ago. With David's recent successes in having his work published in a Fine Woodworking book and 500 Tables, I thought it was a good time to interview him (before he became too famous and/or busy) to get a better sense of the origins of his work and to highlight what others could learn from his experiences.

Why Vermont?

David was born and raised across the lake in Plattsburg, NY and while his mother studied at Goddard College (in Plainfied, VT) in the summers he would hang out and bike around with his dog. He also hiked the Long Trail as a student. Although he has lived in other areas, he always felt he would come back to Vermont. He doesn't feel that it has influenced his work as much as his work shares an affinity with the culture and environment of Vermont. Some of the designs he is still using were developed years ago while living in suburban surroundings that didn't match his head space. By living and working in Vermont, he feels that his headspace now matches his surrounding environment.

Why Wood (and not metal, glass, stone, clay?)

David first learned woodworking in a 1st grade woodshop where they taught hand tools. Although he has learned and enjoys many other media, including metal, glass (blowing), jewelery, and concrete, he has returned to wood because at some point there isn't enough time to learn it all and it is better to master one than be mediocre in many.

Favorite Wood

None, loves them all!

Influences

The first name he mentioned was Charles Rennie Mackintosh the Scottish Art Nouveau (early arts and crafts) period furniture maker. David doesn't see any influences in his own work but he greatly appreciates his work. I see a little more similarity with the next name he mentioned Isamu Noguchi, a major sculptor to the 20th Century, but only distantly in that they both use asymmetrical designs and 3-point stands. David is also a great admirer of Carlo Mollino, the Italian architect, photographer, furniture maker, race car driver, and engineer. You can see more direct influences in his work, although where Mollino's designs might be more ridgid and mechanical, Davids are more curved and lively. David also listed Alexander Calder, Dr. Seuss, and "The Jetsons" as influences. Specifically, the small table below was designed with the "Jetsons" cartoon in mind.

"Elroy Table"

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©David Hurwitz

Working with Clients

David feels that clients get his best work when they give him basic criteria related to how the item should function and then give him broad artistic license. Also, he truly enjoys commissions that push him to do something he hasn't done before. He finds most individual clients are good about giving him the freedom to create but he has noticed that when dealing with professionals (e.g., interior designers) the end product can sometimes be adversely affected by the "too-many-hands-in-the-pot" syndrome. The lesson being, if you are going to hire David, or any other studio furniture maker because you like their work and their designs, you are more likely to get a great product if you give them design freedom.
Below is a life-sized drawing of a current project that David is working on.

©David Hurwitz

Lessons Learned
David said that, without a doubt, his best career move was moving to Vermont. He has found that it has provided him with a number of good marketing opportunities because there is a focused effort to promote wood products and he hasn't seen the same level of organization in other areas that he has worked. People work together to promote the craft, whether through the Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers, or the Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association. The GVFM has also set up a blog so that follow studio furniture makers can promote their experiences as a group.

As far as his worst decisions, he said he felt they were more learning experiences than mistakes. These lessons include:
-- Be prepared for shows -- the first time David did a crafts show he was ill-prepared with marketing materials and bad lighting. After studying what others were doing, he has since been much better prepared for subsequent shows.
-- It is important to talk to other craft artists to avoid making mistakes they have made, such as always having a signed contract before beginning work on a project.
-- Don't put work in distant galleries with an unproven sales record. David had a bad experience with a gallery about 500 miles away in that they weren't able to sell any of his work; it was a major hassle to get work down there and pick it up; they damaged all of the pieces; and they used his table tops as very elaborate pedestals for other work - rather than leaving them clear as works of art on their own. From this experience he learned to be selective.

Goals

As with all woodworkers, having his own spacious studio (rather than renting his current dark, windowless, uninspiring quarters) was first on his list. In addition, he would like to develop stronger gallery connections on a national level. Other desires include developing a better web presence so that he can get more web-based commissions and spend less time traveling to shows; and being able to go on a vacation that wasn't essentially a business trip.

As a final point of interest, below are blocks and drawing of what will be two of David's signature taffy lamps.

All designs and images Copyright 2009, David Hurwitz

Wood Artist Profile: David Hurwitz (Part I)

Of all the artist/craft careers, studio furniture maker has to be the hardest. The combined struggles of mastering the craft of woodworking, developing original designs, maintaining a fully equipped studio, and marketing a product that will cost many times other similarly functioning objects are at least as great than any other discipline. Having made furniture as a hobbyist, I have a good sense of what goes into making furniture with traditional joinery and I know that the artists are lucky to be making a living wage. There just isn't any way around the fact that making fine furniture takes an enormous amount of time. On top of this, just about every schmuck with a table saw has a romantic dream of living in the woods and making furniture for a living; as a result, the competition is extremely stiff.

With the knowledge of these difficulties, I always appreciate seeing someone getting recognition and being on the cusp of making a name for themselves, perhaps even being able to make a reasonable income. Randolph, Vermont artist David Hurwitz is just such a person. As a professional furniture maker since 1988 and self-employed since 1993, David recently had two of his solo piece, along with two collaborations with stone sculptor Kerry Furlani, featured in Lark Books new publication "500 Tables":

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©David Hurwitz 2009

(this little table - bird's-eye maple top, maple legs- actually looks to be dancing)

©David Hurwitz 2009
(Kerry made the top and told David to make a table with it, I think he did a great job of integrating the two components together)

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©David Hurwitz 2009
(this one they designed the components together)

and a writing desk that is also featured in Fine Woodworking's Design Book Eight:

©David Hurwitz 2009
(I really like the use of ash for the legs on this one. The bold lines really work well with the strong curved legs; and the asymmetry of the legs really gives it a sense of being alive. It looks like a bull ready to charge.)

With the occasion of these accolades, and with the thought that I (and perhaps others) would be a lot more interested in this blog if it covered other wood artists, I interviewed David last week in order to get some insights about his work. For space considerations, I'll divide the profile into three posts.

As you can see from the above images, as well as this one, a wine cabinet that was published in Fine Woodworking a few years ago,

©David Hurwitz 2009
(It seems appropriate that waves/ripples would be a key element of a wine cabinet.)

David has a knack for creating lightness and movement with big, thick pieces of wood. He has developed a style that is unique and identifiable as his own -- an important trait in trying to make a name for oneself. The work also seems to be as much sculpture as it is furniture.

Here is David -- I suppose most photographers would take a picture of him pretending to make something but I think this impromptu image may be more insightful:And this is where he works, one of the more upscale industrial parks scattered around Randolph, VT:

Interestingly, as I was wandering around his shop he told me about scoring some mighty fine lumber from the estate of Hugh Townley. Hugh's son was recently looking to sell his remaining inventory of very rare mahogany and other mysterious woods and the rumor of the impending sale made its way to David by chance. Look at this stuff! wormy mahogany that looks like it was devoured by a small snake!

Neither of us could identify the lump of wood on the bottom left, David just thought it was interesting and is planning to polish one side for a small sculptural table.

And a plank of mahogany that is about 24 inches wide! They aren't cutting trees like this any more.

The HT below was labeled by Hugh himself!

David says he hasn't bought or used mahogany since the mid-90's, partly due to its endangered status, but since this stuff was cut long ago there didn't seem to be much harm by indulging. In addition, David was told that the next day someone was coming to buy the lot for trim molding! What a waste that would have been.

All designs and images Copyright 2009, David Hurwitz