by Adam King on September 16, 2009
Woodworking and design are activities that are natural to me. I am at my best designing and crafting quiet elegant pieces for all of you. Writing, however, provides a wee bit more of a challenge.
If you’ve followed me here at the Studio for a while now, you know that I maintain the Studio Blog as a means to help further solve you needs and connect in deeper ways. However, I don’t mind being honest in saying I do not always know what to write about.
“What’s the point of this article? Will anyone even care if I publish this? Am I simply writing what I want to read? Is it normal to have this echo in my head?”
These questions run through my mind as I search for topics that would best serve and inform you. Sometimes I have moments of clear inspiration and other times I feel like I’m grasping at carcinogenic sawdust particles floating through the air. I enjoy writing the blog, don’t get me wrong. It’s just hard sometimes to see what would serve you best in the way of informative, problem solving, and entertaining content.
As I sat at the bench contemplating this it hits me like a piece of White Oak over the cranium: Ask them what they want to read. You would think a solution that simple would have come earlier, but remember what I said about carcinogenic sawdust particles? Yeah.
So, what do you want to read here at Adam King Studio? What would be the absolute best content you could receive here? What would help you solve a problem, obtain answers to a question, and add the most value to your follow?
I truly want to know. It’s my hope to make the Studio a place for you to come to knowing it will always have something of value to help you in the greatest ways possible. In short, I want to inspire you. The only way for that to happen is for you the reader to let me know what will serve you best.
So please tell me. Drop me a suggestion in the comments below, email me, or if you follow me on Twitter, hit me up there.
I can’t wait to hear what you have to say and I’m excited to help you in greater and more meaningful ways. I appreciate all of you.
by Adam King on September 14, 2009
Demonstrating the shoulder plane
I was reflecting on yesterday’s post and decided to share this with you.
When my training in fine furniture construction and restoration came to a close, I was standing at the door to the school’s shop trying to muster the courage and the words to say goodbye to my teacher. Here was this man who had an incredible and impressive lineage in the craft of furniture making, and has been to date one of the greatest influences on my own life, and I now have to face the reality that I may never see him again. Sensing this was warring within my mind, he shuffled over to me, shook my hand, and then suddenly put his arm around my shoulders. He then pulled me aside from the other students and proceeded with my final lesson. After several years his words still resonate clearly in my memories.
“Promise me that you will willingly share everything that I have shared with you. Hold nothing back from anyone,” he said pointing a finger at me for emphasis.
He told me that teaching others would in turn teach me and make me a better craftsman. I had done some teaching while in school as part of my scholarship program. I really loved watching people make the same discoveries I did. The shear panic on their faces as they tried a risky technique for the first time, followed by the utter joy of victory, was enough to carry you with a smile for the remainder of the day. I did learn a lot from these students, but until recently I did not fully understand what my teacher was relating to me.
Since opening the Studio almost five years ago, I’ve had a few weekend classes, private students, and a short term apprentice. All people desiring to learn more about this passion for wood and to have greater fulfillment in the pursuit of woodworking. Each and every person who has sought instruction and guidance has left me with more than I feel I’ve given them. I have been inspired, humbled, and just plain awestruck with all of them. These lessons have impacted me not only as a craftsman, but as a person. I find myself more mindful of each and every movement and the meaning behind them. Every stroke of the plane has purpose. Working with such passionate people can be described as nothing short of a miraculous privilege. It’s a re-energizing of my own passion and a reminder of my overall purpose for being a furniture maker.
The promise is coming full circle. The student becomes the teacher, and in doing so, is remaining a student.
by Adam King on September 13, 2009
photo courtesy of Taunton Press
Tonight, I’m sitting in the Studio next to a cup of coffee from our local coffee shop and a stack of woodworking books. I’m writing from the shop this evening because it’s really the best environment for crafting this post. As I look over the books I’ve collected over the years, I’m reminded of leadership and sharing.
This has been a tough summer for the woodworking community. We lost two of our most influential leaders within several months of each other. Sam Maloof, iconic designer and maker, passed away on May 21st at 93. Sam was known for his signature style and no-nonsense approach to the craft. He is most recognized for his rocking chair. This chair not only resides in the Smithsonian, but was also the chair of choice for both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Regan. He did a workshop at the school I attended, and left us with an example of his famous “Maloof joint.” That demo piece hung from the shop wall for all to see and everyday I would stare at it reminding myself of why I was there.
photo courtesy of jameskrenov.com
On September 9th, less than four months after Sam’s passing, we suffered the blow of losing James Krenov at the age of 89. Like Maloof, James Krenov had a definitive style of his own, personified by his ubiquitous cabinet on a stand. James headed up the Fine Furniture program at the College of the Redwoods and was known for taking his students beyond the “how” and into the “why” of woodworking. He was an evangelist for the introspective approach to the craft and the honest expression of self within the work. I remember after finishing “A Cabinetmaker’s Notebook” realizing this man just expressed everything about woodworking from an internal point of view that I was feeling. It was a turning point in the way I approached woodworking.
These two men had varying styles, techniques, and approaches to woodworking. What united them though, was the desire to share their precious gifts of knowledge and experience. Both are renowned as craftsmen, teachers, and thought leaders. Pioneers within the craft inspiring thousands of woodworkers through their greatest contribution – teaching. More accurately, the willful sharing of their passion. They were teachers and guides for all who were searching for greater fulfillment through the path of woodworking. Communicating and inspiring that passion in thousands of woodworkers throughout the decades is now part of their legacy.
I could wax eloquently about the individual contributions each man had on furniture making and on society, but I will spare you. I am simply here to say thank you to these two legends for their contribution to my passion and pursuit of this most noble art and craft, and to lead into a new avenue for me at the Studio. But I’ll have more on that Monday.
To learn more about the lives and contributions of these incredible men:
James Krenov: On the Record
Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking
Rene Russo Visits Sam Maloof
Sam Maloof 1916-2009
by Adam King on July 30, 2009
We’re all looking for ways to enhance our existence. We forge online connections for that very reason. That’s the underlying mission of all that I do here at Adam King Studio. Everything from the hand crafted furniture to each engaging article is designed to add value and enhancement to your existence. Like it says in the tag line: Inspiring Tranquility Through Quiet Elegance.
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