LES DEUX AMIS QUI MARCHENT

My newest sculpture comes out of some experimenting I've been doing with dry-stack lamination and mold building.  The technique has allowed me to extract more dynamic and lyrical forms out of wood.  As a result, I have been able to approach figurative forms in my work, hence the title, "The Two Friends Who Walk".

WALNUT DINING BENCH

This bench was built from two beautifully figured pieces of California Coastal Walnut.  I felt very fortunate to be able to use them.  The base is built with four hand-cut mortise and tenon, and the two back boards are supported by a pair of three inch high butterflies.  Take note of the parabolic curves carved on the front and back legs.  These curves are reminiscent of my previous design for the "spider table" seen below, and is becoming a signature aesthetic of mine, as are the tapered legs. 

SPIDER TABLE

My design for a coffee table, which I have dubbed "Spider Table" due to it's insect-like profile, is built out of ash. The table top sits 17'' above the ground and is 18'' in diameter. The catalyst for this design came out of my clients desire for a small, elegant, and light-colored table to be used in a sitting room. I am very pleased with the result, and intend to do a production line of the coffee table in the near future.

101 BRODERICK

I finally finished the very last touches for the lobby remodel at 101 Broderick in San Francisco! I Built two sculptures from Koa and Western White Cedar, that are actually reconfigurations of the same shapes (almost).  The added dynamic of the cast shadow was for me a delightful enhancement upon installation.  Note the contrast of the rough cut cedar with the smooth finish of the Koa.

ASH COFFEE TABLE

This design for a coffee table was commissioned by my brother-in-law.  It is a two-tiered table with a tapered surface and legs.  Also, the tenons from the legs come through the table top an 1/8 of an inch showing the joinery and creating a distinct design element. 

THE AMERICAN CLASSROOM CHAIR #17

The remaking of these chairs came about as the result of a spontaneous rummaging through the dumpster of Grattan Elementary School in my neighborhood of Cole Valley.  The old wooden laminations for the seat and back support were completely deteriorated, and the metal frames were bent out of shape.  Noticing the sleek vintage style of these presumably 1950's era classroom chairs, I took it upon myself to repair and partially redesign them into an elegant dining-room chair.  I built two separate molds in order to re-laminate the seat and back support, and then used clamps to bend the frame back to it's normal orientation.   The frame was spray painted with a matte black and the laminations were both oiled with "California Oil Finish" (a recipe inherited from Art Carpenter), with the exception that one of the chairs was painted in cerulean blue before being oiled.

1910 OLYMPIC BLVD. IN WALNUT CREEK

These sculptures were a thrill to make.  Each individual shape was initially free handed on the band-saw, with no preconceived ideas of how they might turn out, before they were sculpted and assembled together.  They are now on permanent display in the lobby of a commercial building in Walnut Creek.