Boston Family Boat Building

Yesterday  I was in Boston visiting a small school called 'Boston Family Boat building'. The small school's mission is to give 10 to 12 year old students a chance to experience using their hands and create a beautiful small boat.  The students mostly come from inner city schools within Bostons Public School System. These students get a chance to experience something that they normally wouldn't be able to.  The program is run by two dedicated people and the school is maintained by a parent organization called Third Sector New England. It was a glorious day out yesterday.  A perfect day to spend at Boston's seaport.  The school is located at Harbor walk right beside the Institute for Contemporary Art.

The small building is tucked nicely between all of the high rises.

NOA

Yesterday I delivered some work to NOA gifts and gallery.  A great spot in West Concord, MA  and a second store on Charles street in Boston.  The store is carrying my tea lights.  If you're near either location check them out.  For more information about the stores and the artist they carry go to www.noagifts.com.

Outdoor life

My bulk head tables found a home on our deck.  We've been setting up the deck and needed a few more pieces to complete it.  I brought the tables out.  They look great and fit perfectly on the deck.  I still need to put a coat of finish on the tables but they looked so nice out on the deck that I had to leave them there.  I'll add a finish shortly.

Arcworks

Here's the information about the current group exhibition I'm in.  I'm also currently involved in a two person exhibition with my wife, jeweler Liesl Carlson at the Uxbridge free public library in Uxbridge, MA.  If you live anywhere near these areas please visit and check out the exhibitions.

ArcWorks - Peabody

Yesterday I delivered some work to the Arcworks Community Art Center in Peabody.

I'm involved in an exhibition titled 'Repurposed'.  Two of my 'Bread-Side Tables' and a piece titled 'Whaddya Hav Hun' will be exhibited throughout the remainder of April and through May.  I Haven't been to that area in a long time so it was nice to go for a drive up the coast.  Liesl came with me. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for a drive.  After we delivered the work we went to Salem and had lunch by the ocean.  It was awesome. 

Woodworking isn't always glamorous.  This past weekend I did a repair to a friend's kitchen drawer.  I used the same bottom from the broken drawer but ended up having to make new parts.

This simple repair could end up in a commission to build a new kitchen in the future.

Rocking Chairs

Today my friend Glen came to visit and he brought two wooden rocking chairs with him.  The chairs use to belong to his grandparents, they sat out on the front porch.  Glen and I are going to work on the chairs, bringing them back to life'.  Glen wants to restore the chairs as a Mother's day  gift for his Mom.

  

Co-Habitat. The library Auditorium

This week Liesl and I turned the Uxbridge Library's auditorium into an art gallery.  We spent the week setting up our exhibition 'Co-Habitat'.  It's amazing how well the space transformed.  Our work looks fantastic in the space.  I'm really happy with the way it worked out.  The exhibition will be up for the month of April.

Fine Woodworking Readers Gallery

My Chest of Drawers was selected for inclusion into the readers's gallery section of Fine Woodworking Magazine.  Please pick up a copy and check it out'  It will be featured in issue 234

Street Sense

Library Install

Today Liesl and I continued to install the exhibition.  I was originally concerned about exhibiting at the library.  The auditorium is very busy with a lot of textures, I thought our work would get lost in the space but after today I see that it will work beautifully.  We've embraced the space and have made the fixtures and textures part of the exhibition.

'Co-Habitat' Uxbridge

Co-Habitat Exhibition

Uxbridge Free Public Library.  Uxbridge, MA

Steve Butler and Liesl Carlson

For the month of April the Library's auditorium will be transformed into an art gallery as we showcase the art of Steve Butler and Liesl Carlson!  An Artists' Reception will be held on Thursday, April 11th at 7 pm, where you'll have the chance to talk with the artists about their work.  

Steve, of The Garage with Steve Butler, is a studio furniture maker/designer, and he loves all things modern and vintage. 

Liesl, a jewelry designer, has been in many regional exhibitions and appeared in several publications, most notably 30 Minute Earrings. 

Many of their exhibited work will be available for purchase.  For more information contact the library at

http://www.uxbridgelibrary.org/uxbridge/

Library Installation

Liesl and I moved our work in to the library's auditorium this week.  The space is on the third floor.  I love the woodwork on the staircase walls leading up to the room  The stair rail is incredible.  I can't believe the bend in it, especially hard to achieve in oak.  The space is awesome. 

Compost Bin

Even though there is a snow storm coming this week I can't help but think of spring.

Today wasn't a fine woodworking kind of day but I had a lot of fun.  I love building things for the yard and garden, it gives you that pioneer spirit.  Today I made our compost bin.  I made it out of pressure treated lumber.  Today's pressure treated wood doesn't have arsenic in it, it does have copper though.  Most plants and vegetables need some copper in their soil and the effects of  leaching copper into the soil from the compost is very minimal.  I had some 1"x 4" lumber left over from a picnic table project so I used it to build the compost bin.  The compost bin is 36 inches square and made up of two sections that lock together by wooden pegs.  The pegs extend past the width of the sides and lock into each other. There are 3/8 inch spacers between the two bins to allow for air flow

Cold Frames Completed

Last evening I finished the second cold frame and moved them outdoors.

I used boards I had left from previous projects to build them.  Some old pieces of barn boards and some pieces of a pine book shelf.  If you want to make a pair of cold frames yourself I would use cedar. Cedar is naturally rot and insect resistant.  The frames I made will probably only last the season, after all they will get filled with soil and water, a recipe for decay.  I'm not concerned, I like to recycle materials and use pieces of wood that would normally end up in the fire wood pile.  These cold frames will act like a mini green house, capturing the sunlight and generating a lot of heat, allowing us to start planting early.

Cold Frame

A few days ago I picked up a couple of old window sash frames.  The frames are in great shape and have 1/4 inch glass in them.  Last night  I made a cold frame using some old barn boards and a window sash. I'm going to make another one so that we can start planting some herbs and vegetables early.  The cold frame acts as a green house, getting quite hot in the sunlight.

Ready to go again

I love how the studio looks after a good cleaning.

The Check isn't in the mail

Yesterday I went to Arts Worcester to receive my 'Material Needs" grant money.  It was nice to meet the other recipients and to hear about their work

Bulk Heads- Attaching The Tops

Yesterday I completed the tables.  I took the old battens that were on the back of the door and cut them in two.  I then attached them to the underside of table tops to help with placement.  The top support stretches nestle nicely against the battens.  I then counter bore a large hole to accommodate the screw head and then drilled a smaller hole for the screw into the underside of the support stretchers. I enlarged the screw hole to compensate for wood movement and attached the tops to the base with 1 5/8" screws.  I love how everything worked out.  I'll live with the tables for awhile and decide if I'll paint the base or not.

I took the original door handle off the door and attached it to the underside of a table top.  It'll remind me of the history of the work.