Crystal Bartley
I am a very family-oriented artist. I tend to sway in their direction when I create things. I want to do my best to make my family proud of me and of my works.
Artist statement
During my middle and high school years I took several woodworking classes and really enjoyed just building things. I also really enjoy being able to take a fleeting theory inside someone's mind and being able to put it into a physical form. Once I graduated, I immediately looked for a college that had a woodworking program and found Selkirk College. I realized if I am going to build stuff to make people happy, I might as well do it to the best of my ability and get paid to do it. So, I figured I should get as good training as I can get. All my family have affected my work and the pieces I create. I am a very family-oriented artist and tend to sway in their direction when I create things, because I want to do my best to make my family proud of me and of my works.
My ideas and designs are especially important to me because eventually I want to have my own business of entirely custom designed furniture and fixtures with all my products being as original as possible while still satisfying my customers' needs. I like to use solid wood, mostly the darker types such as black cherry, walnut, and sapele. I like to use what I like to call the “wing it” technique which means I never really plan my joints till it comes time to do them at which point I usually go “hmmm what joint to use ~here~.” That usually happens due to my ADHD, which causes me to get distracted easily and forget to do things, so I just do it when I become necessary to do it. My ADHD also has a lot of influence on what I create. I tend to make light and whimsical designs. Most of the time though to select my materials in a timely fashion I will stick a bunch of assorted flavors of wood on a wheel and spin it to find out what I might want to use. If I do not like what I get I take it off and spin it again.
My work does not really have any specific set of ideas for them, it is usually just me staring at a wall questioning what my dog is doing and random ideas for furniture pop into my head. I am trying to explore more into the personal designing factor of things, trying to keep my work as original to me as possible. I try to keep my work as creative and as original as I can. I like to challenge myself and throw in some of my artistic flair. I do not like to look to others' work for inspiration. It ends up creating pieces like what inspired it and for me that tends not to be very original.
Aaron Cohen
I aim to create timeless pieces by harnessing the power of simplicity and showcasing the inherent beauty of wood.
Artist statement
Unsettled by the rise of fast furniture and the increasing expense of long-lasting well-built objects, I was drawn to woodworking to craft items that would endure the test of time.
My work is characterized by simple lines, angles, and curves reflecting my attraction to minimalism. I aim to create timeless pieces that can be used in a variety of spaces by harnessing the power of simplicity and showcasing the inherent beauty of wood.
Having travelled extensively I also look to draw inspiration from my experiences and encounters with diverse cultures.
I believe that living in balance with our natural world is important and I prefer to use local and sustainable wood species to create pieces that are both visually appealing and environmentally conscious.
Angie Demeter
I am always pushing the boundaries to see how far I can take a project, always walking the line between not doing enough and doing too much.
Artist statement
I am an interdisciplinary artist that has been working predominantly in 2-dimensional art for the past 20 years. Woodworking seemed to be a natural progression in my practice as I have a love for functionality and things I can interact with. I wanted to make work that could be beautiful but also beneficial. In the world today, I feel that we are pushed to buy things that are cheap and useless or tire of quickly. I want to challenge this and make work that can last and will be well used and well loved.
I often think about and get inspired by the dualities in our lives. We cannot have simple without complex, beauty without ugly, appreciation without loss. I question if I can bring two opposing elements together and create something harmonious. Can I make a piece that’s decorative but also plain? How can I make my work stand out but also blend into its surroundings? I bring these concepts into my pieces without completely tipping the scale one way or another. I am always pushing the boundaries to see how far I can take a project, always walking the line between not doing enough and doing too much.
One of my main influences is architecture. I look at how it interacts with nature, and how we interact with them both. I am curious about the structures themselves but also the negative space surrounding them. A building is beautiful not only because of the building itself, but the shapes sky makes around it. I create furniture that interacts with the space around it and make each part of the furniture as important as another. I want there to be something intriguing no matter what angle you are looking at one of my pieces from.
My work is focused on the ornate. When designing, I draw out random shapes rather than starting with drawings of furniture. Once I create a shape I like, I figure out how to make that into a piece of furniture. Seeing as these shapes are generally busy, this leaves less room to use loud materials. This would suffocate the piece and render it overdone. I choose woods that have a softer grain and lighter value. I also mainly use one type of wood throughout my pieces. Of course, I can’t bear to make work too monotone, so I use different woods for the interior features like the drawers - a healthy dose of variety is good for the soul.
Working in this new medium is an exciting transition where I can explore my art practise in new ways. I am challenging myself with seeing how I can bring woodworking into my ongoing practices of drawing and painting.
Dana Doerkson
I have found that I am drawn to dynamic designs with moving parts. I’m still exploring my aesthetic voice and I’m having so much fun with it.
Artist statement
Woodworking is a brand-new interest for me. I was drawn to the trade because it combines problem-solving, hands-on tasks, with intentional, design-led creativity. As a songwriter, woodworking provides a creative contrast to the wordy world of lyrics.
As I’ve stumbled into this new world, I have found that I am drawn to dynamic designs with moving parts. I’m still exploring my aesthetic voice and I’m having so much fun with it.
Luc Duval
My pieces reflect stories and experiences of my past.... The wood tells its own story and I enjoy finding the beauty in the tales it shares.
Artist statement
I came to the West Kootenays from Saskatoon Saskatchewan where I worked as a critical care paramedic. I love the outdoors and adventure sports, but I found stillness in woodworking and adopted it as a hobby, making indoor home furniture, shelving, and outdoor furniture. As my career took me down paths of high stress and even burnout, I found solace and fulfillment working with wood and started making more and more projects. When my friends asked me to make them a custom table it was then I started to consider pursuing fine woodworking more seriously.
Being a busy dad of three girls, I have never thought of myself as an artist but if I was to describe myself as an artist now, I would use the term “storyteller.” My pieces reflect stories and experiences of my past with guidance from fellow online woodworkers such as Seth Rolland and Blake Weber. The wood tells its own story and I enjoy finding the beauty in the tales it shares. I am especially interested in creating pieces with marquetry, inspired by nature as well as playing with veneered woodworking pieces. I love the art of woodturning and am finding joy in carving wood.
The puzzle that is woodworking fascinated me, I have learned so much over the last nine months and look forward to putting my newfound skills to use while expanding my practice.
I look forward to creating custom pieces for future clients that can showcase their experiences and highlight the unique story of new woodworking pieces.
Mary Clare Haley
My work is made with love and becomes a creation that can be given a special place in your home and enjoyed and passed on for generations.
Artist statement
I enjoy the beauty of seeing a finished piece of furniture that I have created with my own hands.
Nothing feels more satisfying knowing you did an honest hard day’s work and created a piece of furniture that you can enjoy.
I always enjoyed working with wood and the smell of fresh-cut lumber. I grew up on a dairy farm and managed my own poultry farm. Now retired, this was the time to explore my creative side in woodworking. In the past I built barns, my own house, and renovated houses.
My partner along with my parents had a major influence on my growing interest in woodworking. Building a cabin in the woods when I was eight with my father to my mother's encouragement through the years, learning the basics of cabinet making from my late partner. Selkirk College just ramped up my skill level.
I enjoy the contrast of different coloured woods: walnut and sapele, maple and the lovely smell of Spanish cedar. Marquetry adds a nice accent. Maple reminds me of the sugar bushes back home in Ontario as a child.
I enjoy tongue and groove and dovetail joinery. Tongue and groove remind of the century-old barns. I use dovetails to make my pieces sturdy and aesthetically pleasing.
I enjoy marquetry and veneer and exploring how to incorporate into my designs.
Open the cigar box and you enjoy a sweet smell Spanish cedar.
Pull out drawers of the cabinet and again the Spanish cedar and walnut dovetail keys for strength. The door is constructed with cane.
I enjoy marquetry and veneer and exploring how to incorporate them into my designs. When you open my table drawer there is a surprise. Creating a piece that looks like a picture is so satisfying. I feel like I am designing a piece of art that I add design to a piece of furniture that I am making. My work is made with love and becomes a creation that can be given a special place in your home and enjoyed and passed on for generations.
Julian Hengsbach
I love the process of building furniture because it forces you to use a combination of creativity, problem-solving, technical skills and knowledge.
Artist statement
I’ve always felt the need to understand how things work and are put together, and I think this is why I am drawn to building furniture. My middle school years at the Waldorf school were filled with creating multiple projects, and I have since worked in various mediums, including clay, metal and textiles, but I fell in love with wood because of its incredible versatility and beauty.
There are many different ways in which my designs are conceived. Some are brought about by the practical need for a particular type of furniture piece, some by the desire to incorporate and try out a new technique, and some are inspired by a random object or idea, another piece of furniture, or a shape that I have drawn. Once I have a design that I like, I usually spend a great deal of time zoned out gazing off in no particular direction while I figure out all of the details of the piece until I am ready to make a final design on paper and start building.
I love the process of building furniture because it forces you to use a combination of creativity, problem solving, and technical skills and knowledge. One of my favorite parts of woodworking is when I get to a part in the build that I haven't spent enough time conceptualizing and I am able to design on the fly and find a solution without interrupting my workflow. I am also quite fascinated by the endless opportunities and options that exist within woodworking, and I feel empowered by the freedom and control that comes with being a skilled woodworker.
Derek Ho
I aspire to build pieces that are simply striking. A theme that is consistent in my work where clean lines, and shapes make for distinctive design.
Artist statement
There is a power in the ability to take something from imagination to reality. I have a need to create in order to solve a problem or ease a function in daily life. My designs are often sparked by inefficiencies I experience in my home.
I often ask myself:
How can I create more space in a room that is finite? How can I have things more readily available? How can make pieces where form follows function, yet form is not compromised?
These questions are continually explored as I continue to grow. I see opportunities in our built environment where we can ease rather than resist. My goal is to live smart with furniture that compliments my lifestyle.
I aspire to build pieces that are simply striking. A theme that is consistent in my work where clean lines, and shapes make for distinctive design. Ornamentation is abandoned in an attempt to keep the focus on the material and its form. Techniques like bent lamination, template routing, and shaping wood by hand are implemented to produce a unique silhouette. A byproduct of this is a sense of organic softness instilled through fluid contours.
Without formal training or access to tools and a proper makerspace, my previous work was fixed in the realm of do-it-yourself. Through the knowledge acquired this year, my practice has been able to meet the desires of my creativity. Now, suddenly, with the guidance of our fantastic instructors, I have been able to reduce the barriers that once limited me as a maker. Like a painter discovering new colours, my abilities as a woodworker have been enlightened by new techniques, varieties in wood, and a newfound confidence as a craftsperson.
Glen Horel
I wanted to be much more ambitious, and go for a design that was extravagant, eye catching and that would really challenge me as a builder.
Artist statement
Being a mature student with a science/engineering background (read old and not inclined to learn new tricks), I felt very intimidated in the beginning by the idea of “being creative.” How does one calculate a creative idea or fit it into a logical pragmatic plan? My goal entering the program was to step out of my comfort zone and learn to be more creative.
I feel like I partially succeeded, and I learned a lot about the creative design process (at least my process). I found that complete design freedom without limits or guardrails, is very difficult. Near on impossible. I need to ground myself with pragmatic functional constraints, and then I can let my creativity run loose (within the safe confines of those limits).
My table design came from wife’s desire for a plant stand. Being our first big build of the year, I went with a simpler design and build. This fit very well with my design goal to let the plants that sit on the plant stand, be the star of the show. I wanted a simple, light, open and airy, multi-tiered platform to display all kinds of short, tall, or drooping plants. Beech, a wood I had not worked with previously, is a subtly textured, light colored, beautiful wood that fit my design goals perfectly. Thanks to Angie for the plant design that I burned onto the table front. I couldn’t let the plants get all the attention.
For our final build of the year, our cabinet, I wanted to be much more ambitious, and go for a design that was extravagant, eye catching and that would really challenge me as a builder. Curves are hard, so I added lots of them. It’s always helpful when your client (my daughter) pitches in with some ideas of her own as well. I also pulled (stole) a design element from a book of cabinet designs. When you are new to the design process, you take help from wherever you can find it. Sapele is a rich dark wood with beautiful tones. Ash provides a creamy contrast and a lighter feel to the inside of the cabinet. I hope you find the striking balance of light and dark woods in “Fancy Beverage” eye catching.
Okoyo Johnson Waller
I find a lot of inspiration in the interaction one has with a piece of work. I aspire to create work that has function, aesthetic refinement and also surprise.
Artist statement
I found myself coming into the world of fine woodworking because of a life-changing experience building an urn for my aunt and gifting it to her before she left this world.
I have always loved working with my hands learning and getting inspiration from creating mechanisms with Lego when I was young to building forts in the woods.
I've learned to enjoy manipulating materials, creating texture and shape; looking into a piece of wood or rock and imagining what could be inside.
From a young age, I gained an interest in mechanisms. I starting to build myself a tiny house when I was 15, and a big part of the build was the fascination of unfolding a space into another functional space.
Creating one thing that could become another.
I worked on the idea of a counter with a pivot point so I could either have it up against the wall or pull it out to create a full kitchen.
I have designed a bed with a pulley system that fits into the ceiling when not in use.
My process includes many preliminary drawings to hash out design ideas. I dream about the potential project and walk through the creation of it in my mind many times before beginning the work.
When selecting materials, I like to think about what form the work is going to take. Once I have an understanding of the shape and size of the work, I dive into the textural world of wood species and colour.
I find a lot of inspiration in the interaction one has with a piece of work. I aspire to create work that has function, aesthetic refinement and also surprise.
The work I have been building this last nine months shows some similar attributes and a trajectory with my previous work. The techniques and skills I have developed in this course have taken this body of work to the next level for me.
My designs were very ambitious and have pushed me toward the goal of excellence.
I have a lot to learn yet but am excited to go on this journey and to see where it takes me.
Lacey Leforte
My design focuses on allowing the materials to share their knowledge and influence the reconstruction of their new form.
Artist statement
My intention to learn a hard skill involving hands-on learning and a creative process has transformed over these nine months to an unforeseen confidence in pursuing a refined craft. I am excited and inspired by traditional chair-making modalities, such as spindle turning and steam bending, along with the green woodworking techniques that accompany this style of furniture making.
I hope to continue to make a conscious attempt to choose materials that feel sustainable and acknowledge the land from which it was harvested. I have had the opportunity to excavate form from a single tree through working with sustainably harvested slabs. My design focuses on allowing the materials to share their knowledge and influence the reconstruction of their new form.
As a mere newborn in the world of furniture making, I have eyes of wonder as I look around at the creativity and artistry of my peers, teachers, and mentors. By nourishing this growth through the exploration of other natural materials and craft I hope to create pieces that reflect the sensitivity of the natural world.
Joshua Manley
This course has been the pursuit of finer details of things, the old techniques of traditional work merged with the ability of modern machinery.
Artist statement
Hold the hammer loving and take an honest swing, the false idols will shatter the ones righteous will ring.
When I think of a statement to offer about the work I do, I am flooded with a portmanteau of passions. I have never been good at doing one thing and as I age, I am learning how to unite my many skills and experiences.
This course has been the pursuit of finer details of things, the old techniques of traditional work merged with the ability of modern machinery, and I wanted to hold these two worlds in the same hand by moving slowly to taking on the many new challenges. With an effort to work with hand tools as much as I can and creating more organic designs, I sought out inspiration in the natural world. My designs are a simple hybrid of functionality and traditional craftsman.
With my background in organic farming and industrial forestry, I have always felt the effort to hold diverse realms in one mind.
I am always learning, and my teachers are all around me.
Alex Morrison-Rusas
I’m inspired by space efficiency, utility, minimalism, contrasting materials and the various sensations involved in the user’s interaction with a piece.
Artist statement
For me, building is about manifesting my will in the physical world. In addition to fulfilling a specific purpose, each piece is an assertion of competence (“Look what I can do!”) and a bid for connection with others (“Tell me what you think of it!”). When designing, I’m inspired primarily by space efficiency, utility, simplicity/minimalism, contrasting materials and the various sensations involved in the user’s interaction with each piece.
The decision-making in my work tends to rely on the evolving tensions between utility, aesthetics and resources. I begin designing based on its use: “What’s it for? Is it effective? Is it space-saving? Could it be more efficient or useful?” Then I consider its it’s aesthetic (usually industrial organic/mid-century modernist): “Does it look beautiful, interesting, and unique? Do I want to touch/interact with it?” Lastly, I pare down the excessive details of each piece as my attention span, patience and time wear thin during the build process.
My current work is distinct from previous work in that I spent significantly more time and attention on details, learning more advanced techniques, and preparing digital plans before proceeding. This has helped me accomplish far more complex designs than before.
Tokoko Naraki
I have just started my woodworking journey, and I’m beginning to discover a path to harmony through different materials and techniques.
Artist statement
My name is Tomo, and I’m from Japan. I went to secondary school in BC and returned to live here in 2018.
I had very little experience in woodworking before I started the program. I was just curious. But the program has brought so much more to me than I thought it would.
I often wondered about my place in the world, not knowing where I belonged. And I always wished I could hide away my Japaneseness. I don’t like to stand out. Throughout this program as I learned more about woodworking, I constantly ran into techniques and tools that were rooted in Japan, and I gradually started feeling a sense of pride in where I come from. I found respect for not just Japanese craftsmanship but a culture where people strive for precision and perfection, and a lot of the time, without the need for recognition.
I have just started my woodworking journey with this program and I’m beginning to discover a path to harmony through different materials and techniques.
My final piece is named Chowa 調和 meaning harmony in Japanese.
Cameron Nuckowski
I believe that if you stare at a piece of wood long enough, it will eventually show you what it wants to be and that’s usually how I come up with my projects.
Artist statement
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around, does it make a sound? We will never know. If a woodworker happens to stumble across said fallen tree and mills it up and makes a piece of furniture, that tree will be able to let every single person who sees the furniture hear its story about its life. It will also let you hear a story from the woodworker as well as woodworking is an outlet, I use to express emotions, passion, thoughts and ideas.
Growing up, I’ve always had a sense of feeling lost with no distinct direction in life. I’ve tried going down a couple career paths but never lost that feeling until I had an idea of “I could probably make that.” I then picked up a couple tools and made something. That reignited a passion I soon realized I had lost from when I was a child. Eventually, as woodworking became a hobby of mine, it became clear that this was my purpose, this is what I want to spend my life doing. There are many styles of woodworking out there and infinite designs you can make out of a tree. I always believe that if you stare at a piece of wood long enough, it will eventually show you what it wants to be and that’s usually how I come up with my projects. Curves are a thing I love putting into my work as well, as it imbeds a sense of wonder into people because wood is traditionally meant to be straight.
It's crazy how the more you know about something, the more you know there is much more to learn about it. I’ve learned lots in the last couple months and it has opened my eyes that there will never be a time where I won’t be learning something new in woodworking. My work has definitely moved up a tier or two from what I was making before, and I’m excited to see what I can make in the future.
Gard Peters
I am inspired by the beautiful precision of the natural world and its relationship to the imagined terrain of mathematic space.
Artist statement
I am a Calgary-based artist who specializes in mixed media sculpture, printmaking, and (most recently) furniture fabrication. I earned my undergraduate degree, concentrated in sculpture, at the Alberta University of the Arts, where I cultivated a deep respect for the many materials harvested from forested land. I delight in creating works of functional art using paper, wood, metal and stone.
I am inspired by the beautiful precision of the natural world and its relationship to the imagined terrain of mathematic space. My practice investigates the close connection between different forms in these two worlds, and my recent work explores the many ways in which objects might begin to misbehave as they move from one world to the other.
I have a keen interest in informed design, and my design process relies heavily on observational drawing, iteration and the creative interrogation of everyday objects. I aim to design uncomplicated, robust, and multifunctional pieces that can adapt to a wide variety of different uses.
Designing furniture has also served as an outlet to further explore the relationship between function and form, building upon my curiosity in phenomenology and object ontology. In my work, I use elegant lines and simple gestures to draw attention away from the process of making and direct it instead toward the experience of seeing and touching.
Mitchell Steiger Mestancik
Every project is a set of stepping stones consolidating at the end to a unified physical representation of effort and ingenuity.
Artist statement
I enjoy woodworking because of the challenge: every project is a set of stepping stones consolidating at the end to a unified physical representation of effort and ingenuity.
For me, it is like a puzzle that I have made for myself without knowing what the finished picture looks like, which can be both frustrating and fascinating. Furthermore, I enjoy the connection with the project provided by hand tools, which is why I gravitate toward things like hand cut joinery. I have veneered on a couple of my projects to attempt to achieve the feel of solid wood without the issues involved.
As aforementioned, I like to include hand-cut joinery in my projects and all dovetails over the eight months of this course were hand cut. Woodworking seems to run in my family especially on my mother's side, as she, my uncle and my grandfather are, to varying degrees, woodworkers. Over the course of my green career, the design of my larger pieces was made with a place in mind; the kitchen island was a client commission in which functionality was paramount as it had to fit a small space without congesting the kitchen.
Generally, I like to design specifically and precisely, and often I become so familiar with my active projects that I could recite every dimension and process needed to create it.
Zoe Tehennepe
My intention is to create pieces with clean, simple lines that allow the beauty of the wood to continue taking centre stage.
Artist statement
Having the incredibly good fortune of growing up in the Discovery Islands led me to an early appreciation of everything wooden—from towering old-growth and gnarled coastal arbutus to the wildly unique woodsheds and outhouses of my family and neighbours, wooden creations often took centre stage in my understanding of great beauty.
A season of pulling exquisite slabs while working at a local sawmill inspired an ever-increasing longing to leap from being an outside enthusiast to an active participant in the humbling pursuit that is working with wood.
My intention is to create pieces with clean, simple lines that allow the beauty of the wood to continue taking center stage. Each board is lovingly selected with this intention in mind. Modest joinery is used to highlight the different tonal qualities of wood without detracting from its position as the star of the show. I gravitate toward warmer woods that remind me of families chatting around wood stoves where wool socks dry or sunshine streaming through honey.
Thanks for taking the time to have a look!