Dylan Pym. Is he the Dylan of modern woodworking?

A good friend of mine recently tuned me on to this artist working out of The UK. His work is straightforward, clean, and not too busy. What he really brings to the table is the weight of his work. I don't mean how much the pieces tip the scales, but the weight they would carry in a room. They are big, heavy forms that don't have a lot of flashy movement. They instead, sternly and gently guide the eye around the work. They don't leave a lot of questions unanswered. The movement in the pieces is in no way subtle, but is direct and does not distract from the natural beauty of the heavy figured oak. He has created something that will be here long after all of us are gone.

Big Plans for Big Treehouses

In my grand sceme in life I would like to have kids, and I would like my wife and I to create a handmade childhood for them. I imagine our young ones running around in clothes that their mother has made for them, eating at kitchen table that their father built, and living in a house that is designed and built by both of us.

One thing that I want in a house for my family is a lot of little hidden surprises and unique spaces. Coming from the barren wasteland of western Kansas we did have a lot of trees in the neighborhood, let alone trees big enough to climb. I imagine one day having a family treehouse. Our little activity room in the sky. You link a lot memories in your childhoos with your favorite spots, and it means a lot to me to be a big part of the creation of those spots in my kids' lives.

Stainless Steel Shadow Luminaries

A Few Words on Books

I've been looking lately at how different designers deal with storage space. How to hide it or how to use it creativly. Books are something that can always create a focal point in a room. The mutiple colors and the learned nature of the things are very attractive. I love storage that is built into the side of staircase. I've seen entertainment centers as well as bookcases, but a staricase is a really interesting space to use for a built in.

The chair isn't quite practical, but it is a brilliant use of space and a clever conversation piece.

These are a few of my own cutting boards. I had problems getting these shots up when I put the fisrt post up. I hope that you like them.

An Ode to Cutting Boards

This was the highlight of my journey into the world of cutting boards. This woodworker has a brilliant simplicity. I love the compound angles on the sides of these rich wood pieces. The branding of the two squared emblems is really the perfect addition. Plus, he is clearly unaware of his brilliance as indicated by his prices. So, go to his website and support his humility. Michael Talina from Ripper Art Studio and Gallery in Kingsport, TN.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ripperarts

An Ode to Cutting Boards

Another fine woodworker that deserves special attention: Wolff Woodworks from parts unknown.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WolffWoodworks

An Ode to Cutting Boards

An artist that deserves to be highlighted on his own: Grand Prairie Woodworks out of Chicago.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tpursell

An Ode to Cutting Boards.

It's really incredible the amount you can do with this 12x16 in. slab. Intricate and complicated is sometimes as affective as simple and chunky. The weight that this round piece has is equal to the to the weight of the laminated intricacy of the pieces with several laminated species, and the feet add a subtle touch that I think adds a lot of sophistication.

An Ode to Cutting Boards

I thought that I would devote a few posts to this wonderful little kitchen staple. One thing that I've heard a lot while chucking my wears is that people don't want to use my cutting boards because they are too pretty. I think that these boards are really beautiful in their virginal state, but I also think that they would look really good after a few years heavy use. I think that they only truly exist when they have deep trenches of wear and tear. These are all images that I pulled off of Etsy, and the way that they achieve these patterns is to glue, cut up, and glue again sometimes four and five times. The one at the top has all these curves that are cut out with a band saw, smoothed and then have pieces laminated into the curves, recut, and glued several times. These are pieces that a lot of work goes into, and definitely deserve a lot of appretiation.