Finally

It's been a while since I posted something new. My apologies, our computer got a virus and we are only now able to use it.

The last time I posted I was working on a pair of walnut tables with curly maple drawer fronts.

The table were donated to Peters Valley Craft Center to be auctioned off at their annual benefit auction. I've since been commissioned to create two more. I also finished all of the tea lights and have sold a couple of pairs in the Peters valley gift shop and gallery.

This Octobers meeting of the Watergap Woodturners wsa held as usual at the Wood Studio at Peters Valley Craft Center. Dan Moore was going to demonstrate how he turns an edged burl but the meeting conversation ended up being a talk about pricing our work and design. It was a very interesting meeting. Dan passed around some of his collected pieces of wood and burls and asked what we would make out of them.

The end product

Here is the end product. I sell these at galleries and gift stores. It's good practice to have a smaller wares you can put into production and sell at gift stores. It helps compensate your income.

Tea Lights

I

make these tea lights as a production porduct. The body is made out out mahogany, some are made out of Juniper and some cherry. The base is made out of Aluminum and the top is perforated steel. Here is a batch in production. They measure 4 inches square and are mitred on the corners. They are rabetted top and bottom to fit the screens and bases. I use 3 different jigs to make them.

Hand Plane

Each October the Blacksmith Department at Peters Valley Host a Pig Roast and Iron Fest.
There is an Auction of tools, etc where all the proceeds go the Blacksmith studio. This year I made a wooden hand plane and donated to the blacksmith studio for this event. The plane body is made out od hard maple.

Home sweet home

Sometimes during the winter it can be impossible to get up to the wood studio at Peters Valley due to the ice on Thunder Mountain road. This year I'm a little better prepared, I finally set up the garage and turned it into a small wood studio. Dick, the blacksmith Department Head at Peters Valley made me a small wood stove. It works very well and is a good way to get rid of small scraps.

Auction Tables

Each year in November Peters Valley host its annual Auction and dinner. Department Heads like myself usually submit some work. This benefits Peters Valley and ourselves as we get a percentage of the price. This year I am submitting some small teal lights I make as well as two shaker style end tables.
The tables are made out of walnut, have tapered legs and a curly maple drawer front. I tapered the legs on the jointer. I hope to finish the tables later this week.

Peters Vallley Craft Fair

Steve Antunucci of the Watergap Woodturners demonstrates some of his turning techniques for the crowd at the annual Peters Valley Craft Fair at the State fair grounds. This annual event is hosted by Peters Valley Craft Center and is one of their most important fundraisers. More than a hundred vendors participate in the two day event.
This years event went well, it only rained one day.
Steve is teaching a two day workshop in woodturning at Peters Valley in the summer of 2010. Full details will be available on line in December at www.petersvalley.org. Thanks for
the great demo Steve

End of the season.

Well- The summer workshop season came to a close on September 15th. All in all it wasn't a bad season. We were affected by the bad economy but it wasn't too bad. It is always good to see old friends and make new. Here is the wood studio cleaned up and ready for the next season. I always enjoy the view looking out from the wood studio.
Now the wood studio is available for me to make my work during the off season. My first project is to make a couple of traditional shaker style end tables for our annual benefit auction. Most of the proceed go to Peters Valley. We get a percentage of the sale so it is a good way to kick start the off season and make ends meat.
The tables are made out of walnut with curly maple drawer fronts. The table have tapered legs that I tapered on the jointer.

Opening

The opening of the exhibition was a great success. A lot of people came through the gallery that evening, unfortunately nothing sold but I did get a lot of press. Thanks again to Jennie at Traillworks for all of her help and effort in making the event possible.

Here are a few images from the evening. My son Quinn enjoyed all of the people. Here we are with my friend Bruce Dehnert. Bruce heads up the ceramics department at Peters Valley. The top image is of myself and gallery owner Jennie Traill Schaeffer who did a painting of the bread boxes.

Traillworks Gallery Exhibition

September 1st was the start of my collaborative exhibition with Jennie Traill Schaeffer at her gallery in Newton, NJ. The exhibition coicides with the 2nd Saturday Tour of Art on Spring Street. On display are eleven of my tables I call " Bread Side Tables" along with Jennies vibrant paintings. Jennie set up the exhibition and it looks great'. The official opening is on Saturday the 12th at 5PM.

Woodturning for BeginnersI

This past week Lee Alexander taught a beginners woodturning class at Pters Valley. Seven students signed up for this five day class. The class was a great success, students learned to turn spindles, goblets, bowls and more.

The exhibition at Traillworks opened on the first of September. The official opening is on the 12th. I'll have more imgaes then. These images are of the bread side tables in production. Here are the tables getting their bases and legs attached. A row of finished tables waiting to be delivered to the gallery,

Last month rustic chairmaker Wayne Hall taught a five day workshop in Rustic Furniture Making. This was Waynes first visit to Peters Valley. Waynes' class was a huge success, selling out quickly. The eleven students made incredible chairs, all unique in style and design. Wayne who originally hails from North Carolina now calls Maine home. As well as being a full time rustic furniture maker Wayne teaches part time at the University of Maine.

The image above is of a room full of red maple sticks. Gary McNabb shows off his almost completed chair. I'm envious of all of the students, they went home with a great chair sure to be passed down from generatio to generation.