In our region the Bay Laurel grows prolifically in the understory of second growth Coast Redwood. When mature, the tree can grow quite large and shapely and its wood has a rich, nutty brown grain I use frequently because of its availability and versatility. Yet the Bay Laurel is considered by many a weed. what […]
Category Archives: waste streams
Saving Seeds with Alex Quinto
Ene harvested the last of our tomatoes and tomatillos, which she had let over-ripen on the vine to to make it easier to squeeze out the seeds. Our friend Alex Quinto was visiting for the day and helped Ene with the seed saving. Alex is the co-founder of Work Worth Doing and has lived for […]
California Classical
A few years ago I designed a pedestal to be used as either a table base or, when scaled down, to support a bench. I wanted to evoke the grace and solidity of classical Greek architecture, but based my contours and proportions on the native oak and acorn instead of the acanthus of the classical […]
Nocino
We’re making our first batch of nocino this year with walnuts from our own trees. Our friend Donald Fortescue harvested the green nuts when he was up for a visit in early July. We washed the nuts, quartered them and set them to soak in grain alcohol and sugar, stirring them every day or so […]
David McLaughlin
Ene and I were recently invited to be visiting artists at Waterfall Arts in Belfast, Maine. We will be facilitating a three day symposium on Deep Craft from November 13-16. When I was visiting the site over the summer I had the good fortune to meet David McLaughlin, an artist and set designer who lives […]
Radical Generosity
I had to hit the ground running upon my return home from travels abroad. Ene and I were scheduled to deliver the furnishings I made for the new Edible Schoolyard Dining Commons, and I had just one week to pull everything out of storage and prepare for final assembly and installation. The building’s completion had […]
Beneficial End Use
My workshop produces no waste. When I make furniture I do my best to optimize the beneficial end use of the material that flows through my hands. I apply the same paradigm to wood scraps and shavings, and often derive as much pleasure from managing waste streams as from making functional objects. Deep Craft is […]