Penland School of Crafts Wood Summer 2010

Classes are open to serious students of all levels unless specified in course description; beginners welcome.

Yuri Kobayashi, Believing, ash,

sterling silver, 74 x 74 x 16 in.

Joinery is a complex, interesting, and important component of woodworking, whether it is used in architecture, sculpture, or fine furniture. This workshop will be a fun and informative exploration of wood joinery—from the common mortise and tenon to traditional Japanese scarf joints—using both hand tools and machinery. Students will make many joinery samples and play with joinery, incorporating it into functional or nonfunctional objects. All levels. Code 01w

Studio artist; teaching: Rhode Island School of Design; Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (ME) fellowship, artist residency at State University of New York/Purchase.

Craig Vandall Stevens, Iris Chair,

black walnut, leather upholstery,

hand-rubbed oil finish;

marquetry woods: narra, cypress,

maple, satinwood, bloodwood,

mesquite, holly, 40 x 18 x 18 in.

Focusing on comfort, aesthetics, and strength, this workshop will explore the design and construction of fine, handmade chairs that are an expression of the maker. We will use sketching and mockups to demystify the design process. We will cover joinery—including single and double mortise and tenon—curves and bent lamination, seat-frame construction, upholstery, and finishing. All levels. Code 02w

Studio artist; Ohio Arts Council fellowship; author of five woodworking books published by Schiffer Publishing; featured on HGTV’s Modern Masters; designed and carved a 51-foot long frieze for the Ohio Supreme Court and reproduced architectural carvings for the Ohio State House.

Matthew Hebert, Table, mixed media, 36 x 36 x 12 in.

This class will explore the creation of narrative, mechanical, animated dioramas incorporating wood and other materials. An intense period of idea generation will be followed by the design and construction of a wooden container with an animated diorama inside. Our goal is to find ways of using simple movements and imagery to create emotio

nal content. Bring your thinking caps and your memories. All levels. Code 03w

Assistant professor at San Diego State University (CA); other teaching: CalArts (CA), School of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of Wisconsin/Madison; designer and builder of custom casework and furniture.

Thomas Huang, We Not Me, mahogany,

hand-split madake bamboo, copper wire,

12-1/2 x 32 x 14 in.

This class will explore the expressive potential of bamboo through a making process. Beginning with a survey of traditional applications and techniques, students will explore and develop their own contemporary understanding of bamboo’s material traits. Through a quick project intended to expand the design potential of the material, students will explore structural qualities, surface design, and connection types. Then they will build a small furniture project under the guidance of the instructor. With the remaining time, students may complete a second guided project or use their new skills in a project of their own. Basic shop skills required. Code 04w

Teacher of industrial design at University of Kansas/Lawrence; studio artist making sculpture and furniture; speaker at Furniture Society conference.

Wendy Maruyama, Kanzashi Series,

Black with Red Tip, painted wood,

60 x 22 x 2 in.

This class is for furniture makers and woodworkers who want to think outside the usual contexts of furniture design and woodworking. Our goal is to develop new ways of thinking about our work and establish new parameters when we are in the creative phase. The first week we will work on short exercises using various surprise themes. The second week students will make a self-directed project inspired by one or several of the exercises from the first week. Basic woodworking skills required, including knowledge of joinery and machine tools. Code 05w

Head of furniture design and woodworking at San Diego State University (CA), collections: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Philadelphia Museum of Art; fellow of the American Craft Council.

This class is an introduction to direct carving techniques for wood sculpture. We will begin with logs and use a variety of tools—from chain saw to lathe—to explore the most direct path from idea to form. Surface treatments and textures will be explored as a means of defining form. We will discuss safety, efficiency, and the nature of wood. Our goal is for students to leave with the knowledge and skills needed to continue working. All levels. Code 06w

Mark: studio artist; collections: Yale University Art Gallery (CT), Woodturning Center (Philadelphia), Museum of Arts and Design (NYC).
Stoney: studio artist; collections: Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Racine Art Museum (WI), Renwick Gallery (DC).

Stoney Lamar, Reflection Rock,

carob, steel, milk paint, 37 x 15 x 5 in.

Mark Gardner, Make a Place for Me, wood, paint,

10 x 40 x 16 in.

Gail Fredell, Bodega Bay Bench, mahogany,

painted maple, oak, steel rods, 15 x 16 x 87 in.

Create a comfortable bench during this introduction to basic woodworking tools and processes. Instruction will cover wood materials, milling, joinery, and glue-ups, and will guide the class through the construction of a small bench. Each student will personalize their project with shaping, texturing, and finishing work. Expect to go home with a completed project and a wealth of new skills at the end of five full and lively days in the wood shop. Beginning level. Code 07w

Studio artist; teaching: Haystack (ME), Anderson Ranch (CO), and at the college level; director of programs and development for the Furniture Society; collections: Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco), Oakland Museum (CA), Stanford University Memorial Chapel (CA), AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park (San Francisco).

Stephen Sidelinger, Cloths of Heaven, gouache

and mixed media on paper, 18 x18 in.

All crafts at some point are easier with an understanding of pattern structures and methods—being able to see and think in repeats. This class will provide hands-on methods for creating 15 kinds of patterns. We will start with basic patterns: from block, brick, diamond, and step to geometric structures and free-form repeats. Then we will draw from the past: primitive ornament, Egyptian, Greek, and Asian patterns, manuscript illumination, William Morris, and Art Deco. No previous knowledge of pattern design needed. All levels.
Code 05ta
Third-floor textiles studio.

Faculty at Ringling College of Art (FL); author of Visual Language: A Guide to Finding Personal Style, and A Color Manual. stephensidelinger.com The second-floor textiles studio will be used this session for an exploratory workshop for artists in any media, titled All About the Why.

Christina Shmigel, Bamboo Window, bamboo,

plastic string, the city of Shangai, 24 x 28 in.

This is a workshop for makers in any medium who want to deepen their understanding of the wellsprings of their work. Through a series of riddles and explorations, using images, 3D sketching, book- and model-making, and materials different from, but parallel to, our customary ones, we will investigate what makes our work uniquely ours. With play and curiosity, we will explore ways of opening up our future work. All levels. Code 05tb
Second-floor textiles studio.

Studio artist in sculptural installation; former professor of sculpture at Webster University (St. Louis); solo exhibitions: St. Louis Art Museum, Laumeier Sculpture Park (St. Louis), Duolun Museum of Art (Shanghai).