Hunterdon Art Museum

On Sunday Liesl, Quinn and I went to the Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, NJ for the opening reception of an exhibition titled " Uplifting Sound: Interactive Sculpture " by artist Gary DiBenedetto. Gary is a friend of mine and was an artist - in- residence at Peters Valley Craft Center.

I enjoyed working next to Gary in the wood studio for a couple of months, it was inspiring and motivating.

Garys' sculptures are awesome, they fit very well within the walls and space of the museum. Gary uses everyday objects, such as an old woodworking bench and vise and utilizes their moving parts to generate sound. Garys pieces are truley interactive, you have to turn the wheel in order to hear the sound generated through the headphones.

The exhibition runs through to May 12. I highly suggest seeing the exhibition, it is very inspiring.

To learn more about Gary and to view more of his work visit his web site at http://www.garydibenedetto.com./

Our friend Andy Dalpe, who lives nearby, met us at the gallery. Andy, with his late partner Wally Barnette, owned and operated " Gallery 31" in Glen Gardner, NJ. Wally believed enough in me to give me the opportunity to currate an exhibition on studio furniture. That is how the exhibition " Not Your Father's Furniture " was born

Tired

I have been invited to participate in an exhibition to be held at the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA durring their 2010 Art Allstate event. The piece I am submitting for inclusion in the exhibition is a collaborative piece between myself, furniture makers Jo Stone and Lynn Szymanski. The piece is titled " Tired" A chair you sit on to take off your boots after a long, hard days work out in the fields.

Tables Delivered

Last Sunday I delivered the two side tables to Fiona. She loved them, they worked very well in her space. It is always a great pleasure when you become a member of some on'es family. That's how I feel when I do comissioned work, I become a member of the family, part of their history. It's awesome. Thanks Fiona.

The road to the wood shop

Last Saturday I drove up to the Peters Valley Wood Studio to assemble Fionas tables and to get them ready for delivery. The area had just had a dusting of snow. I don't agree with the politics that is Peters Valley but for the last three and a half years this has been my commute to work'
Not a bad drive to work at all.

I've enjoyed my time here immensly and have made a lot of good friends, who I know will be my friends through life. I have had the pleasure of working next to such notable makers such as Jere Osgood. Stephen Proctor, Peter Galbert and Chris Beecksvoort, just to name a few. I will miss the commute to work.

Fionas' Tables

Fionas tables turned out well. The contrast between the walnut and the curly maple looks terrific. The brass drawer pulls add to the warm hue of the wood and the finish. These are an example of the type of tables we will be making in my " Table manners" workshop I'll be teaching this summer at Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, NJ and at Arrowmont School of Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN.

Finishing the tops

A product I use frequently is an oil based finishing product manufactured by Sterling, a min-wax commercial product. The product is

used for finishing hardwood floors. It is much like a Watco product and comes in various tints.

I use the Neutral tint based product. It is very easy to use, two coats is sufficient. You simply wipe it on, wait 10 minutes and then wipe off the excess. This is what I used on Fionas tables. I used two coats of Duraseal and then a coat of wax.