Arkansas Craft Guild » Woodworking

David Spencer

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:47:57 +0000

The handcrafted toys of Dave Spencer hark back to a simpler time. Made from Ozark woods including walnut, ash, cherry and red cedar, these rubber band-powered and push/pull toys are as sturdy as they are beautiful. From spinning tops to tractors and trucks, even animals and insects, each toy is carefully made with safety in mind from design and construction to the final finishes. No lead-based paints or additives are used, and each toy is protected with a non-toxic water-based finish.

In addition to his collection of traditional toys, Dave makes wooden teleidoscopes and brass kaleidoscopes that produce multi-faceted and colorful displays to delight children of all ages.

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Jared Kauffman

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:11:24 +0000

Curvilinear designs in wood are the trademark of Jared Kauffman. His gently sweeping lines appear in pieces large and small, from mantels and tables, to lamps and delicate specialty boxes. He combines a variety of fine woods and other materials to build functional and esthetically pleasing furniture designs. Selection of woods for their texture and color, and use of contrasting materials, gives each piece unique characteristics that underscore simplicity and sophistication.

www.jkfurnituredesigns.com

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Jo and Marvin Smith

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:44:23 +0000

We live, work, garden and walk our two dogs on 40 beautiful acres in the Arkansas Ozarks, a wonderful place for inspiration. We began exhibiting at juried art shows in 1987, and have been members of the Arkansas Craft Guild since 1988.

All of our pieces are made with function and beauty in mind to add more enjoyment to your life.

Jo does all of the clay work and Marvin does the Treenware.

Joe Doster

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:10:17 +0000

I started woodworking sitting on my rear. As a kid my Dad would often say “I need your help.” “Sit on this board while I cut it.” I learned so much from my father, just by being around him while he accomplished whatever needed to be done, using his hands and mind. I think of him all the time as I work. Little things “pop” out at me showing he is still a part of me and all of my woodworking. A bachelor’s degree in Industrial Education provided additional groundwork for a woodworking career. For a dozen or so years in the 80′s and 90′s my family and I traveled the juried show circuit all over the country from Houston to Madison, from Denver to North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and all points in between. To get off the road, I took a seasonal position at Buffalo National River doing interpretive pioneer woodworking programs and organizing the live music on Saturday nights. I found I enjoyed sharing with people what I know about trees and wood and tools. Hmmmm….sounds like a teacher.

For 10 years I taught high school Vocational Furniture Manufacturing along with Drafting, first at Cotter High School and later at Harrison High School. Drafting led to Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Machining. These areas led me to my current position at North Arkansas College where I teach CAD, Geographic Information Systems, and an occasional wood technology class. This will be my 15th year as an educator. Along the way I achieved a masters degree in Vocation Education.

Through all years I have continued to supply the Guild, and only one or two other shops, with cutting boards. They sell well, and cover the overhead for my shop where I create a limited number of furniture pieces each year.

I joined the Guild because I felt a true kinship with other creative folks. I remain a Guild member for the same reason.

Contact Joe:

199 Alta Vista Drive
Harrison, AR 72601
870-743-9780
Email Joe

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Mark Cothern

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 22:04:16 +0000

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From the first time he saw a bowl being turned on a lathe, Mark Cothern was hooked. “Something about the wood spinning and taking shape has a hypnotic effect on me,” he explains.

A native of Greers Ferry, Mark now lives in Conway and creates turned objects as a hobby. He especially enjoys transforming discarded pieces of wood and making them into something of use or enjoyment. Using a lathe and working with hand gouges, scrapers, and hollowing tools, he makes a variety of fine pieces that are technically challenging, visually pleasing, and can be passed down for generations. Although he works in a variety of woods except pine, walnut and black cherry are among his favorites.

www.flyingcurls.com

Paul Gillam

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 22:25:33 +0000

From Blue Mountain Woodworks at Timbo, Paul Gillam works with his father to make custom furniture, cabinets, cutting boards, serving pieces, other products using native hardwoods, including walnut, cherry, red and white oak, hickory, ash, maple, and aromatic cedar. Each piece is handcrafted and finished to perfection to bring out the warmth of the wood. The natural color variations of different species are used to create interesting patterns and tasteful lines.

“Our products are made with love and hard work.”

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www.bluemountainwoodworks.com

Ronald Ufkes

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:52:01 +0000

After a storm, Ron Ufkes throws a chain saw in his truck and cruises for downed trees or limbs that will become his next work of art. “I do love to collect my wood, but I rarely cut a living tree. It’s unnecessary because there is so much discarded wood.”

His work is dominated by smooth shapes that accentuate the characteristics of wood. Imperfections become focal points that make each turning something special. “I do enjoy the sound of the tools cutting into the wood blank and watching the ever-changing patterns in the wood as the waste is cut away. The feel of the surface of a well-designed and finished piece can be an almost sensual experience.”

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Shawn Hoefer

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 22:36:59 +0000

Since he was old enough to clutch a crayon, he’s been creating.

“I was lucky,” admits Shawn Hoefer, “I had very supportive parents – and neighbors who bought my masterpieces taped to the picket fence in front of our home for a quarter – who encouraged me every step of the way.”

Before he settled into the niche he now occupies on the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour and at the Ozark Folk Center, he explored a range of other arts and crafts. “I learned calligraphy and taught it at a community college for a couple years, and watercolor techniques, and soft pastels. Jeanette and I used to make soaps and lotions, too.”

None of these skills seemed to work in the corporate sector, though. “I’d always rejected the idea of the starving artist and so I looked for ways to make creating earn a living wage,” explains Shawn. “After much moving around from one job to another – food service from burger flipper to chef, computer science and tech support and repair – I decided on graphic design. It was a natural move.”

Today, he focuses on wood and fiber and dabbles with websites here and there. You can find his brooms at the Ozark Folk Center and select Mountain View stores and his hand turned and carved fiber arts tools – crochet hooks a specialty – are available in limited quantities online and at the Arkansas Craft Gallery.

And his luck hasn’t changed. “Now I have a very supportive partner and an incredible community of artisans… and I no longer need to tape stuff to the fence to sell it.”

And his websites? You’re looking at one of them right now…

Thomas Dunn

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:11:49 +0000

I was born in Ohio some 60 years ago. I moved to Arkansas almost 30 years ago. I live alone, so I can devote a lot of time to my wood turnings. I started turning wood over 20 years ago on a homemade spring pole lathe. Over the next several years my equipment improved and so did my turning skills. Whenever I thought I was at the top of my skill level I would try to push myself to a new higher level. About 10 years ago I started doing some simple segmented bowls. Every year or so I try something a little more challenging. I have come a long way, but I still have a long way to go.

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W. J. “Kip” Powers

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 22:08:31 +0000

Hardwoods from the Ozarks, particularly burls, crotches, stumps, and spalted wood marked by lines and colors of fungal attack, are some of the woods Kip Powers uses to create a diverse array of fine wood turnings. Mesquite and other non-local tree varieties often find their way to his lathe as well.

From tall vases to expanding bowls with part of the bark still intact, he coaxes sweeping forms from what others might consider ‘useless’ parts of a tree. His turnings often are further embellished with carving or the addition of minimal color or texture, or inlays of contrasting materials.

The satisfaction making an attractive object and sharing design ideas are motivations for Kip’s work, as is the fun of rescuing a good piece of wood from the fireplace or city dump. He designs on the lathe letting the characteristics of the wood shape the final product rather than adhering to a pre-conceived design. A retired chemist, Kip makes his home in Rogers.

Contact Kip:

14548 Zimmerman Lane
Rogers, Arkansas 72756
(479) 925-3145
kip055@aol.com

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