Wood...The Divine Medium
The allure of fine wood is revealed in the manifest moods experienced in it's texture, color and grain, be they
peaceful, exuberant, sublime or lush. I am continually surprised and inspired by wood's beauty and versatility and
through working it explore the mysteries of the creative process.
From harvest, through cutting and drying and then to final function, I often attend the wood from chainsaw
to chisel. Creating quality long-lived furniture is an environmentally sound use for carefully chosen trees at
their prime, when growth has slowed. Embracing the opportunity for the cycle to renew.I plant seedlings annually.
Influences and Experiences
The work and teachings of James Krenov and George Nakashima have greatly influenced my work: Nakashima
with his submimation of ego in honoring the natural beauty in wood and Krenov with his reverance of the material, the craft
and allowing serendipity to play.
An apprenticship with an old-world Norwegian shipwright George Asse taught me the perfect pairing of wood and water.
A well built boat is a physical metaphor of balance in form and function. During time spent in Europe and England
I worked for David Simcox, an English cabinetmaker and student of John Makepeace. Recently in Japan I worked with Japanese
carpenters on constructing both an American style frame house and a traditional Japanese home. This experience left me
awed at the different cultural approaches to woodworking. Furniture intensives at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center taught by
Stephen Proctor and Gail Fredell have been immensely influential in my work.
Like the wood itself, the people I work with are unique. We find a common language regarding a project or idea and
participate together in the design and creation. These encounters are always enlightening and growth producing, the
process often as significant as the result. I am available to discuss, design and give price quotes for your fine
furniture needs.
Kelly Stockton
|
