A lover of reclaimed materials, fall wood concentration student Johnny McCaffrey fell for a beautiful pile of weathered wood while here at Penland. Until recently the porch of Dora’s Place, one of Penland’s historic buildings, the tongue-and-groove pine decking had just been replaced. With the blessing of Penland’s facilities and grounds team, McCaffrey got right to work giving the wood a new life… with impressive results.

Said instructor Wyatt Severs,

I look at this beautiful piece and I feel a lot of presence and care for the material. I love the simplicity of the tongue and groove boards and the thoughtful way that Johnny made them sing. As a project, this was a full learning experience, taking things to the next level for Johnny, who brought a lot of skill and a great eye to the workshop. It was challenging to figure out how the joints would come together, but Johnny was able to trust the process and figure it out along the way. They really knocked it out of the park.

We hope you enjoy enjoy our short interview with Johnny McCaffrey below:

Johnny McCaffrey sits in “Doras.ext” at Show and Tell

Can you tell us a bit about the piece? 

I created this chair from sketches that were inspired by Martin Puryear’s sculptural work. I’m endlessly fascinated by organic forms, repetition, and texture. The chair is an experiment in the marriage of these fascinations. Reclaimed material is my primary medium. The opportunity to use the Dora’s House front porch tongue-and-groove decking as the exterior material of the chair felt like a magical thumbs up from the universe—as though the wood was meant to be in this new form as its next iteration.

Titled “Doras.ext,” this piece by Johnny McCaffrey was created using reclaimed pine, birch plywood, galvanized nails, and lacquer

What was something you learned through the process of making this chair?

This was the first time I explored the possibilities of burn finishes for a larger project. The burn finish was inspired by the Japanese wood-burning technique called Shou Sugi Ban. The process was mesmerizing because of the way the fire and heat revealed the swirling, organic grain patterns of the wood—it felt like alchemy. I learned that there is a wide range of finish possibilities by simply using fire. Utilizing this technique gave my chair sensual tactile qualities. The final finish is burned, brushed, and lacquered, making the chair a shape-shifter–at times seeming as though it’s made of leather or soft to the touch or glistening metal.

Students admire Dora.ext at show and tell

What was it like being in the wood studio for six weeks?

IT. WAS. AWESOME.

Every day felt like a gift. Our instructor, Wyatt, set the scene for us to be able to explore the edges of possibility in woodworking, which allowed me to feel expansive in my creative process. My classmates’ work and personalities offered a spectrum of skills, vision, and creativity that energized me to see my own visions through. The shop was an amazing space to actualize work, but the people–staff and students alike–made the space come alive with potential.

What’s next?

After just one day on campus, I knew I wanted more time at Penland, so I applied for the upcoming Core Fellowship! No matter the outcome, I am going to continue to find ways to be in relationship with craft schools to further my creative process and find community and spaces that can help me materialize my work.

I’m also going home to Washington State to spend time with my favorite person, my cat, Mooncat.

Check out the new porch at Dora’s Place.

Thank you, Johnny, for sharing your story!