Greens Chair Update

1/4 scale model of my new dining chair concept for Greens Restaurant I generally try to avoid working under pressure, but find I often do my best work with my back up against the wall. When our Wowhaus Interview was published in San Francisco magazine last month, I was just beginning to clear the decks […]

Touching the Wood

My projects always begin with sorting the pile, touching the wood Like cooking, working with wood engages all of the senses in symphony. Touch plays a major role in the early stages of a project, especially at the scale of fitting out the interior of a new building, like the Guest House that now requires […]

Fish Sculptures Progress

the reassembled 1/4 scale substrate for the Vermillion Rockfish sculpture After tracing sectional contours for full scale fabrication in steel, I’ve reassembled the wooden parts of the two 1/4 scale models of fish sculptures for our Abundance project. Next I build up a layer of clay over the wooden substrates to approximate the outermost surfaces, […]

Conveying a Load

the underside of this pallet reminds me of a Mayan city At some point when making a sculpture or piece of furniture, my job is simply to convey a load to the ground. The perennial challenge is to invent or interpret a structural program that gets the job done but adds something new in the […]

Boatbuilding the Fish Sculptures

Boat-Building on the Stour, oil on canvas by John Constable, 1814-15 People who know me well are not surprised by my obsession with wooden boatbuilding. Though I’ve completed just one actual boat, each year I’m gripped with boat fever, especially during the winter months, when I scan plans and dream of the perfect cruise, surveying […]

Wowhaus Interview

photo by Jenny Elia Pfeiffer for the December ’09 issue of San Francisco Magazine I’m already fielding inquiries for dining tables after the publication of an interview with Ene and me in the December issue of San Francisco Magazine, written by Joanne Furio. The interview is called ‘We Gather Together’ and it unpacks our approach […]

Space Chairs for Becoming Independent

three of eight Space Chairs for Becoming Independent, ready for finishing I’ve really enjoyed collaborating with artists with developmental disabilities in the design of my Space Chairs for the new playroom at Becoming Independent (BI) in Santa Rosa. The eight chairs are made from locally-milled Monterey Cypress, and their backs frame panels lovingly painted by […]