Wood Odysseys
November 6 –29, 2015
Reception with the Artists:
First Friday, November 6, 6-8 pm
Thoughtful and
exciting works to enliven your home or work environment
from Northwest
artists
Sean Carleton, Nathan
Christopher, L. Wendy Dunder, Carol Fiedler Kawaguchi, David Kellum
Carl
Larson, John Luke, Ted Scherrer, Donald Smith, Dave Thompson, Tiplin Taylor
Scott Trumbo and Alan
Vogel
Also Announcing:
In conjunction with the Wood
Odysseys Exhibition:
ON
SALE
NOW
Existing
Inventory of Wood Slabs, Wall Sculptures, Benches, Desks
MAJOR REDUCTIONS FROM 25-50%
About Our Newest
Wood Artists:
Sean Carleton was
15 when his father introduced him to welding, and he was immediately
hooked. He traveled to Australia to
build a house with Habitat for Humanity, then enrolled at Western Washington
University with hopes of pursuing a future in renewable energy vehicles. But it
was while working as a hardwood flooring sander and finisher that he began a
serious pursuit of welding and metallurgy, attending Lake Washington Technical
College and eventually working as a welder in Ballard. From there he began crafting fine
furniture. Here is something about his
process and philosophy, in his own words:
When I build with my
hands I feel happy and fulfilled. I like to create the designs in my
head first, then
physically manifest them. While working in my shop I feel freedom. … I push
myself, improve, push boundaries, chase new technology and new possibilities
for a clean energy future surrounding the Solar Energy Movement. I want to
challenge the art form, and make my mark.
Architecture, the
balance of weight, and ideas for the future all inspire my work. Each
morning I wake I find
inspiration in my shop with complex textures, material shape and my fierce
inner drive. Music maintains my focus and allows my mind to fluently flow
through physical fluid geometric shapes. Industrial environments in which I
spent my young life have left a indelible mark. Appreciation of equipment,
tools, techniques, and materials is my type of fun.
Objects are cheap,
quality is low, and people are tired. My work signifies lasting quality
and integrity. I want
my work to be a symbol that people can rely on in times of despair and
remember that a
dreamer existed and fought until the end for what they believed in.
Each piece is cut,
de-burred, tacked together, TIG (tungsten inert gas) welded, sanded,
finished and assembled
by hand. With complete control of quality and function I am able to
achieve new ideas and
forms of movement.
Finishing metal and
wood by hand is my specialty. I work with patinas as well as clear finishes to
ensure a long life. I use a progressive, environmentally friendly two-part
hardened oil to protect my woodwork in a thin application. This process reveals
the natural beauty and texture of the wood beneath.
David Kellum of
Port Townsend, Washington designs and builds residential and commercial wood
furniture that allow him to join together his creative and technical abilities.
David creates graceful, contemporary
pieces that highlight the natural beauty of the wood and make the most of a
valuable natural resource, providing lasting beauty and utility.
Carol Fiedler
Kawaguchi of Bainbridge Island combines her talents as a fine artist with
her skills as a fine woodworker specializing in Antique Restoration and Repair,
unique Fine Wood Furnishings and Fine Art Assemblages. Ms. Fiedler Kawaguchi
attended Cornish Art Institute in 1978 and ‘79 and received a degree in fine
art from Western Washington University in 1981 with a focus on Japanese Art
History and Printmaking. She apprenticed to a violinmaker and a ceramicist
during the 1980s while living in New Mexico where she opened her first
woodworking and interior furnishings business. She has traveled extensively in
Europe and Asia. She has worked as an artist and woodworker for the past 25
years and now makes her home in Washington.
About Our Fine
Woodworkers:
Nathan Christopher’s
work merges sustainability and functionality with the aesthetics of unique and
artful design. With a degree in Natural
Resource Management from Oregon State University, Nathan places a huge emphasis
on timeless elements created by nature.
Each piece is conceived and crafted according to the
history, nuance and texture of the reclaimed wood used. Nathan creates furniture and sculpture with
character.
A talented multi-disciplinary artist, L. Wendy Dunder of Portland, Oregon, returns
to her first artistic love with her
amazing illuminated paper and wood sculptures. Wendy says, “Once again it is light I crave. The lamps I create are sculptures with a
purpose. They are made of wood strips cut thin on the table saw, bent into
shape and held with hoops and clothespins, as each strip is glued in place. It
takes a long time because glue joints must dry before more are added. When the
shape is complete, the skin of small pieces of tissue paper are painted on with
diluted white glue. About 10 layers with attendant drying time make a
surprisingly tough translucent skin.”
With over 25 years of experience in fine woodworking, Carl Larson has built hundreds of
one-of-a-kind pieces, from custom cabinetry and architectural elements such as
staircases, doors and mantles to custom hand-built furniture at his North
Kitsap studio. In particular, his lamps
are created from exotic hardwoods with special shades made from bark and
vintage electrical components.
Fine furniture maker John
Luke began woodworking as a part-time avocation three decades ago. After
stress-related illness forced an early retirement, Luke began designing and
building furniture 24/7. Clean, simple
lines with a perfect balance of form and function best characterize Luke’s
designs. Table, dresser or chair, Luke uses exposed joinery techniques and
gives meticulous attention to detail and fine craftsmanship. He finishes each
piece with low luster varnish or lacquer for maximum durability.
Donald Smith of
Seattle specializes in furniture using salvaged wood from urban trees. Besides
utilizing materials that would otherwise go to waste, the urban trees used are
typically older and larger than their farmed cousins and grow in more
interesting ways in the open than they do in the forest. They develop unique
shapes and curves and unusually beautiful patterns, or “figure,” as well as
other markings that tell the history of the tree. Most of the wood he uses is
from hardwood trees found in and around Seattle, with walnut, madrone, elm and
maple being the most popular.
Dave Thompson of
Seattle is well known for his exquisite bowls and accessories, with walnut,
sycamore, elm and maple woods predominating in his popular designs.
Tiplin Taylor
brings us wonderful bent-wood utensils crafted from exotic woods.
Scott Trumbo generally uses premium native west coast woods in his beautiful
bowls, with big leaf maple and big leaf maple burl being the dominant woods he
works with. He also turns myrtlewood,
pacific madrone, coastal redwood burl, red alder, claro walnut, sycamore, the
fruitwoods, and some imported exotics.
He lives and works in western Oregon.
Alan Vogel of
Bainbridge Island, while known for his reclaimed fir dining
tables, also fashions more artistic live edge pieces from figured and spalted
slabs of maple, alder, cherry and redwood, among other woods. Each of these
pieces display a uniqueness that emphasize the natural shape and
characteristics of the wood.
