Rank, Roger G.

Inspired by over 30 years watching “This Old House” and Norm Abrams’ “New Yankee Workshop,” Roger Rank started working in wood on the basics like bookshelves, but gradually progressed to more difficult projects. “Woodworking held an appeal for me because of the instant gratification when completed. I enjoy the tactile feel of wood and the techniques learned.” Adding tools and machines of higher quality, he filled his workshop/garage until there was no room for cars.

“Using trial and error, I have gradually developed skills for making high quality products. I have learned that if I need to acquire a technique, there are always books, magazine articles, or online resources from which I can learn. I am entirely self-taught.” While reading about scroll saws, he adopted the intarsia technique, which uses varied shapes, sizes, and species of wood fitted together to create an illusion of depth, using the grain colors and patterns.

“About 3 years ago my wife Sigrun, who is a jewelry instructor at the Arkansas Arts Center, encouraged me to take a course. I enrolled in a beginner course in glass fusing. I found that I really enjoyed using glass to make designs similar to what I have done with wood intarsia. After the course, I was so enthusiastic that I purchased all of the equipment necessary to set up a glass fusing workshop. It was just a short leap of imagination to “sculpt” a bird or butterfly in glass and attach that to the wood background. Using my scroll saw, I was able to make mylar templates for glass applications of powdered frit. A different template is used for each color, firing after each, very much akin to silk screen.” Some butterfly colorings may require as many as 6 firings.
I was trained as a research scientist in microbiology and immunology, having served on the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for 39 years before retiring in 2015. In my research profession I often had to wait weeks to months and sometimes years to get a result of my experiments, but with woodworking and glass fusing, one does not have to wait so long for results. Moreover, the feeling is the same in art as in research, taking an idea and creating something new. In woodworking, there is usually an immediate functional outcome as well. Now in retirement and with both sons on their own with families, I have more time to devote to my hobbies and develop my skills.