Sunday, December 15, 2013

Twenty three

“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it." Osho

This quote describes perfectly how it feels to be a part of the creative environment here at the CR Fine Woodworking Program.  Everyone here has put their life on hold to pursue their passion of woodworking and in spite of the frustrations with learning new techniques as we strive for perfection, the energy remains positive, supportive, and downright silly at times.  Winter vacation is fast approaching and that's our deadline for finishing our first project.

February 7 is our Winter show and that's when our work will be on display for the public to view.  Here are twenty-three reasons why attendance is a must.


Garrett Grantham
















Josh Smith
















Jeff Noblet
















Dan Cerreta















James Meinders







Chen Lekach
























Ben Cooper
















Al Martini














Chris Moore






















Tim Lundholm

















Justin Swent





















Doug Mackay














Kari Logwood



































Casey Moffitt

Jessica Osserman



























Tobyn McCormick




















Marc Balentine
















Henry Hewitt



















Daniel Zenefski














Andy Johnson



















Jim Creger

















Max Kaplan















Jake Hockel


















And, of course, the biggest thanks goes out to our instructors for their patience and willingness to guide us through the highs and lows of everything we do in this wonderful space we've all been calling our home.


David Welter

Rebecca Yaffe, Laura Mays, Thea






                                                   





















Greg Smith















Jim Budlong






















 More shop photos.

Jake
Al

Laura
My Picasso
Andy
Max and Al
Cool Max










The boys and their toys.
















Friday, December 13, 2013

Dear Drawers

I started out with high hopes but right at the beginning, it's been a rocky relationship.  I made a drawer box to fit you perfectly...yes, I know the first one blew up.  But I spent a ton of time on that first one, with so much patience and care.  From there, it continued to go downhill.  I saw you in polka dots, then a dark stormy night, but couldn't have either.  I had to settle for a brown oak which looked so similar to the acacia I had before.  Isn't that how it always goes?
















Nothing was ever easy with you.  I wanted to give you dovetails, but your curves made it painfully difficult to do so.  And then you insisted I give you angles!  Ugh.  I gave you everything you needed. Beech for your sides and that lovely Japanese oak for your bottom.  And such a pretty bottom you have!







































In spite of your sweet concave front, it still pooched out too far to fit with the concave door.  I agonized for days, trying to come up with anything other than carving into that innie of yours.  But I finally gave in to what had to be done and cut away parts of you that I so wanted to remain the same.  When fitting you with drawer pulls, I had to borrow, beg, and I would have stolen, to get the right look for you.  Tiny, thumbnail-size pieces in which I bled from the cuts and scrapes I got from using the much larger tools to make them.





But after weeks of agonizing over trying to make you into my ideal, I realized I had to "let go".  I would do my best for you, but in the end, you would always be what you were meant to be.  And how sweet it was to finally put you into that drawer box and see that, yes indeed, letting go would give me the most precious gift of all.

The gift is shown in the video.  Watch the right drawer as the left door is opened and closed.  It made my day!!