Wood is our Buffalo

…or so many uses for wood… some are more obvious than others:

• furniture (not necessarily our favorite, but of course we put it first)
• shelter and structures
• orchards of food
• paper
• oxygen
• fuel and heat
• exercise and make-believe

A natural jungle gym

• wood crafts and wooden blocks
• walnut sawdust is a natural herbicide
• eucalyptus oil is a natural fungicide
• marking property lines
• erosion control
• sawdust for cat litter or animal bedding

This kitten is an avid re-user of our Wine Oak sawdust, possibly made from these wine oak cubes.

• fabric from bamboo, though technically a grass
• animal habitats
• beautiful landscape
• shade
• river crossings
• surfboards
• boats
• inspiration for books, literature and art
• cancer-curing medication

The point being, protecting our planet’s trees goes far beyond being a treehugger, trees are crucial to so many aspects of our lives.

Can you add to this list? Please comment. I appreciate your input.

2009 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region | Arts for LA

 

If you are in downtown Los Angeles and free for breakfast on Tuesday, this should be very interesting. The creative economy is crucial to our city’s future. We are pleased to be a part of the local resources.

 

7:30 a.m. Registration and Breakfast

8:30 – 10 a.m. Program Presentation of new findings and employment projections by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with top business, philanthropic, art, and design leaders.

Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza
251 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Fee: $20 (until 10/31); $40 (after 10/31)
Two complimentary tickets for Otis Patron’s Circle members at $1,000+ level and for Otis alumni.

To Register Online: www.otis.edu/econregister09

via 2009 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region | Arts for LA.

Activity in the Woodshop

Taking a quick tour of the shop today. These are the projects we have going on.

A traditional kitchen to be installed this week in Brentwood.

One of a series of reclaimed wine oak doors headed for Glendale.

A huge stack of plywood to complete the art storage cases for the Blum & Poe job.

A pile of salvaged douglas fir from the demo for the kitchen above.

The Band is playing on the turntable.

Chris’s handmade surfboards looking super cool in the back of his pick-up.

New blooms on the aloe vera plants I planted last week.

Trend Central – Life in the Slow Land

This article notes the trend of Slow Food expanding to various news areas including “slow art”, “slow parties” and “slow news”.

“Once associated with dreamy tree huggers and philosophers who had infinite time to ponder, the slow movement has undeniably become an international obsession. While slow food and slow fashion have penetrated the mainstream to some degree, people looking to connect with the world on a deeper level are now looking for new areas to which they can apply the movement’s theories.”

via Trend Central – Article.

How about “slow furniture”? Furniture that takes time to design and fabricate or discover and refurbish as opposed to opening a box that came off a ocean freight liner; or “slow decorating”, taking time to fill a home with quality items, that may take more time to curate or afford, but makes a space truly your own.

Like the conversation that comes while waiting for a good meal, what’s so bad about an empty room, if you are looking for the right piece to fill it with quality, function and beauty.

Woodworking Schools

The woodshop at Anderson Ranch looks amazingly clean for a woodshop.

Want to try woodworking? You could buy a set of tools and fiddle around. You could buy some big machinery and fiddle around. You could apprentice. You could also go to one of the many woodworking schools around the country that offer a variety of workshops and classes to get a taste and see if you really like it first.

Here is a partial list. Please email me with additions.

The Acanthus Workshop
Pottstown, PA

American Woodworking Academy
O’Fallon, MO

Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Snowmass Village, CO

Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts
Arrowmont, TN

Asheville Woodworking School
Asheville, NC

Berea College of Crafts
Berea, Kentucky

Lonnie Bird’s School of Fine Woodworking
Dandridge, TN

The Breed School
South Berwick, ME

John C. Campbell Folk School
Brasstown, NC

The Chippendale International School of Furniture
Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland

Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
Rockport, ME

Eliot School of Fine and Applies Arts
Boston, MA

Errington School of Woodwork and Design
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Franklin Street Fine Woodwork
Tampa, FL

The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts
Beverly, MA

Homestead Woodworking School
Newmarket, NH

McLaughlin Woods
Canterbury, NH

Kelly Mehler’s School of Woodworking
Berea, KY

New England School of Architectural Woodworking
Easthampton, MA

William Ng School of Fine Woodworking
Anaheim, CA

North Bennet Street School
Boston, MA

Northwest Woodworking Studio
Portland, OR

Penland School of Crafts
Penland, NC

Port Townshend School of Woodworking
Port Townshend, WA

Mike Siemsen’s School of Woodworking
Chicago City, MN

The Vermont Woodworking School
Cambridge, VT

The Wild Earth School
Hudson, WI

Workshops of Charles Neil
Timberville, VA

This list does not include numerous A.A., B.F.A and M.F.A programs at community, state and private colleges offered.

This list does not serve as an endorsement of any particular program.