chair............ done.

A few weeks ago, I completed and presented Vidar's Chair to the class, a very special moment in my life as a cabinetmaker. With this project I explored and understood this craft even more. It made me respect  the process and I learned to enjoy the process, I guess the most important part of this. 

When I look at this project I remember long hours sitting at my bench, thinking and planning the next step, sharpening my tools, and doing delicate work. It is important to know how to stay calmed when you do this type of work, as one of my classmates taught me, you have to let your heart be calmed, and you will be connected to the process, your hands will to what you think. 

Hard to explain how I think and feel now, for those who know me. I have been involved in with this quality of work for almost two years now, and it has totally changed my life. As I told my classmates on the presentation day, I feel inspired and totally confident of what I'm doing, of my skilled mind and hands. 

You have to believe and just let go, be relaxed, breathe and do the work, the quality will be there, and you will enjoy it every day more. You will be amazed on the simplicity of the process of making a beautiful object like this. 


I used to think machines were the most important tools, but it wasn't until I started using my hands and trusting my eye when that thought went away. 

Machines can perform a great starting point in a process, but it is in your bench where the work is done. Some will agree and some will not, I guess not everybody has the opportunity to sense and perform this kind of work.

I'm glad I can be part of this, having the opportunity to attend one of the best Cabinetmaking Schools in the world makes me feel like a very lucky person, I guess I am. 

Enjoy the chair!

Raul

2012.

It's been three months since I last posted, some friends started to ask what I've been up to, so here I am. I must say I've been busy all this time. I've gone through a learning process  that takes most of my energy and attention, the chair. 


It has been amazing learning from this project. Every part of the process is bringing my mind into deeper levels of the understanding of this craft, this profession that I'm choosing to live and to work. As I am going deeper into my self knowledge as a woodworker, I have changed my way of understanding and respecting wood. 


At the beginning it was an attractive material to work with, you know, it makes a place look warm, it brings life into projects of any type. Then I have been understanding the patterns, the grain and the characteristics of wood from another angle, I gained the respect it deserves, not just as a material, but as a "living material" that is in constant dialogue as you work with it.

Wood teaches as you learn. Sometimes we think we are working with wood, but wood is working with us, shaping our character, our skills, the way you need to approach certain kinds of wood in order to succeed. 


I am glad to be part of this generation here at the school in which we all show the respect James Krenov deserves, I can see his spirit and his approach in every member of the class. 


I am close to completing my chair project, and will look forward to start my next piece, a true reproduction of Mr. Krenov's work back in 1970's. An opportunity to make the foundations on my education even stronger in the way that woodworking means to me. 

Thank you and have a busy start of 2012!


Cheers!


Raul

a day at Inside Passage.

It has been more than a month since we started this year at Inside Passage, things have settled right now, everybody knows what they're doing and work couldn't be better. This learnig experience doesn't seem to have an end, so happy to know that. 

The Craftsman students are doing a great job on their exercises, they are now working on the "Wabi Sabi" cabinet exercise, in which they will learn about proportions, design, joinery and how important a procedure list is on the execution of every piece. 

Lecture.

We Resident Craftsman are still working on the joinery, which has evolutionized from day one. This chair seemed to be designed for educational purposes, it has taken us from the most simple joinery, a 90 degree live tenon, to a compound angle floating tenon, so far, which will then convert into a more complex subject. It is challenging, it has brought back all those familiar engineering subjects into my mind. It's nice being able to build a piece of furniture which totally demands safety, design and aesthetics.  

Getting busy at my workbench. 

I feel fortunate being around this group of Resident Craftsman, we are learning as a group and share experiences and problems as well. I guess we are all "going for it" into this craft as a profession, as many of the Craftsman Program. It is nice to discuss and learn as we go. 

Melissa squaring things up. 

Robert always sharing his knowledge.

One of our Resident Craftsman brought some great news last week. Melissa got her first piece commisioned. It is a big deal for us, she is a very important member of our group, just the kind of person that will have the best attitude for any situation, I'm happy for her, this will be the starting point for her carreer, congratulations Melissa!

Last week we celebrated Nicolas' 2nd birthay as well, it is amazing seeing him grow and learn every day. Monica brought a delicious carrot cake here to the school. Nicolas has celebrated both of his birthays at Inside Passage. He's just "chilin'" as a good friend may say. 

Nicolas' borthay. 

Anyway, we'll keep up with the work over here. This chairs are now looking much like one, and we've been having beautiful weather over here. We'll be able to enjoy more sun on the following days. 

They're starting to look like chairs!

Cheers everybody!

We roast our own coffee now at Inside Passage. 

the magic began.

It is time to talk about this new year at Inside Passage. For you new readers, Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking is located in British Columbia, on the Sunshine Coast. Great place, nothing but focus in our craft. 

Vidar's Chair Drawing execution. 

I  started the Resident Craftsman Program, my second year here at the school. This year is a full new experience for me and the family. It is now time to download all that knowledge learned on the last year, and apply it as we go. Five of us students are on our second year, and twelve new students are on the Craftsman Program. A young class, full of energy, which is nice to experience with. All the new learning that will happen on here, and we still have no idea on the teachings of every day, so hard to explain.


We started right away to work on our new project, Vidar's Chair. This chair was designed and made back in 1970 by Vidar Malmsten, son of Carl Malmsten, a Swedish legend in our craft. 


James Krenov, to who we owe the chance of having this teachings that Robert Van Norman teaches us generously here at the school, studied with him back in the day. 


This chair has a special meaning here at the school. Vidar Malmsten finished this chair on James Krenov shop. Mr. Krenov wrote about this experience at some point. It is inspirational being able to be close to all this history of such legends. 

“He came on his bicycle, with the chair nearly finished, he had not yet decided on the back piece. He turned my shop into a disaster area. He would keep sawing blanks for the back piece. And he would put one in and he would draw on his pipe. He had a low voice and a calm way, he’d look back at that back piece and say “Ya, well, maybe, what would happen if we turn it upside down?” and we’d turn it upside down and now that wouldn’t work. And then he’d saw another one and the clock was going around and around.

It was one o’clock and two o’clock and finally he put a piece in there. He looked at it and then he went over to the bandsaw and he took a little bit here and a little bit there and he put it in there and he backed off and he said “Ya, well maybe it’s better that way.” and that was the back piece for the chair, the way it is now and forever. And it is not to my credit but the only thing that I cherish is the memory because he did not live after that. People like it it is a very comfortable chair, I am sitting in one of them right now talking to you. The prototype was finished in Jim Krenov’s shop and that he and Vidar were very close friends. That’s nice for people to remember. It was around 1970.”

– James Krenov

With this said, and Robert guiding us through this amazing process, our minds are now working to get this chair done. So much to learn each day, the curves, the joinery, the graphics, what wan I say, it's just amazing to be learning this skills. Robert himself made this chair, and has the experience to guide us with his experience. 


Here are some photos of Vidar's Chair, made by Robert Van Norman some years ago. The wood is wenge, just amazing. 

We keep on talking every day about everything we learn, and every day Robert has a new teaching that just blows your mind. Cheers for that, I feel so fortunate to be on this school learning every day and doing what I do. 


I am enjoying every step on this process, it makes me remind of so many things as I go along. Getting drawings done, then getting into the wood and find those pieces that will make what you tell them to do. 

Some understand this, some others not, what I can assure you is that in any craft, is a matter of patience and enthusiasm what gives that final result you desire. Being focused and relaxed is very important, and  at the end of each day its just positive results. 


Cheers everybody, enjoy!


Raul 

time to enjoy.

Last week I received a magic envelope. This envelope contained the files from my 2nd piece at the Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. After some months of work, we had our year end show, followed by a Professional Photo Shooting. Ingeborg Suzzane was in charge of taking this sharp and balanced photographs. www.isphoptography.com




She has been working with the school for some years now, she can see what we want you to see, because a piece of furniture has to be appreciated in different angles and it takes time to explore all this details that make each piece unique. 

I must say I was impressed to see this photographs. After so much work, you believe you know every angle of your piece. I feel fortunate to see it through another eyes and talent. 


Take your time to enjoy the work, go through it, all of this is the result of an effort to take care on each and every one of the details. 


This piece was made for my wife Monica, she's a jewelry maker, and we wanted to show her talent too, so we thought of this, a jewelry display cabinet. You will see through the photographs that the drawers, are interchangeable trays that can be removed and placed on top. This will show the interested any piece they're interested on, at a comfortable position. 


This piece will be attached to a stand, proyect I will be doing on this following months. I've had time to think about it, and it will match the cabinet really nice. The design will keep the same rythm shown. 


Looking at my work made me feel inspired to take the next step on this life experience. I am sure of what my hands are capable of, and know even more that the learning experience will never end. 


Cheers everybody!


Raul  

mexican summer. just WoW.

Well, it has been almost a month since my last post, I'm kind of anxious on writing this one, so here we go. Last time I posted on a box I was making for a present for a good friend. I finished the box and you know, I had to deliver it. So I went on, with the family and delivered this box. The place was the Caribbean Sea, on a town called Tulum, let me tell you just paradise. 

Sliding lid. 

Finished Product. Delivered. 

A good friend owns a Bed & Breakfast over there, which he recently opened, and we had to go and check it out, catch some sun, and enjoy. His place is called "Jardin de Frida" (Frida's Garden).  An amazing spot to visit, full of positive energy, great food and interesting people. If you are on the area sometime, you have to check it out. Here's some useful info. 

http://www.fridastulum.com/

Top View of the Garden. Jungle, Jungle, Jungle.  

Creativity on every corner of this place, some Mexican Funky Style. 

watercolor@Tulum

Enjoying the paradise was an amazing experience, I started meeting people in here and looking up at some trees and some wood. You wouldn't believe the wood I found over here, just amazing-incredible stuff. The colors, densities, grain patterns made my blood just boil, and wanted just to start working on something over there, but I had no time for that, eventhough I had the time to meet some local woodworkers, and ended up on a workshop on the jungle. 

I met a family of woodworkers,  the father, leader of the family "El Tigre" (The Tiger), and 3 of his sons ran a workshop in which they made any sort of work. Creativity on any process is so important, do what you can with what you have, so this guys made their machines and made their "magic".

Wooden-shop made tablesaw-mortiser.

Frame members for doors on "Chechen", this wood has some stories behind that go up to the Mayan Civilization. 

Milling of some "Sapote" this wood is so dense and close grained, that I thought mmmm wooden planes, I bought a plank and brought it back. 

Wood for planes. Let it dry and I'll tell you later what I could do. 

Other samples I brought back home which include some "Ziricote",  "Palo Rosa" and other species. 

This place has so many species of wood, and so many stories behind. It was a great experience talking to this woodworkers who still have their Mayan lifestyle. They don't loose their way of looking at things and on this case on wood. They have a lot of respect for nature and for trees. 

There are some species of trees which they only cut on full moon, other species which are highly poisonous, they find cure for this on other trees, just a connection with the Earth that I have never seen. 

A lot of energy is felt through this area, people's lifestyle is an example for our modern civilization. 

Coba, a ceremonial piramid on the heart of the jungle. Very energetic place I must say. 

Returning from the top. 

Diving on Cenotes, underground caves.

I had the opportunity on traveling to an island on the Mexican Caribbean, Holbox, and check out some interesting construction systems as well, whoever is into this you'll enjoy this. All made from Sapote, the wood that I was talking about. I found some decks made from this, which have been underwater for at least 10 years, and the wood is perfect, not rotten, it was an incredible response to water. 

check this out.

It came time to come back after 3 weeks of a truly amazing experience for me and my family, we learned  a lot, and enjoyed a different lifestyle, checked out some wood and chilled out. 

Cheers everybody, we'll enjoy the end of our summer, and come back to Canada for the Resident Craftsman Program. Can't wait for that to happen, go back to my bench and travel through the process of creation on the Inside Passage. 

See you later!

the family just chilin'

See you later!