New Program
Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is pleased to announce the addition of a new program at the school. The Resident Artisan Program picks up where the Artisan Program leaves off allowing graduates of our Artisan Program the opportunity to return to the school and for the designing and making of a fine piece of furniture under the direction of Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking Faculty and Resident Craftsman. There is limited space in this program. Currently the first session is full and we are accepting registrations for the second session which runs from July 14th to August 22nd. If you would like more information about this program contact the school and arrange for an initial consultation with our Program Director.
JK Lectures
The week before break Jim discussed the inspiration and the making of his silver chest. Next week Jim will discuss chairs with this years class. While Jim is quick to point out that chairs have never been the focus of his work, his insights into this aspect of our craft have been invaluable to our faculty and students.
Jim Krenov continues to lecture on a weekly basis. Segments from these lectures will soon be available on our website. We are very grateful for Jim's evolvement with the school. His words continue to inspire a new generation of craftsmen.
Journeyman Program
Jason Klager's completed his second Journeyman term at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. While at the school Jason demonstrated Marquetry and provided this years class valuable insight into their pieces. The above detail is of Jason's first piece as a student at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. It shows his carved pulls of Cocobolo on Doussie, his attention to details and craftsmanship. Jason's Showcase Cabinet is featured in the current issue of Fine Woodworking Magazine. We are grateful for his evolvement with the school and are hoping to bring Jason back for the end of the year push for the show and graduation ceremonies. A special thank you goes out to his wife Christine who literally kept the home fires burning the the snow shoveled to allow Jason to join us.
Resident Craftsman Program
Doug Ives from Gibsons British Columbia completed his final glue up of the carcass and has moved onto his applied edges. This week Doug will be moving onto the stand which will leave him with ten drawers and two curved doors. While the students were on break, Robert installed a window between the benchroom and machine room giving Michael more natural light in his corner. Doug suggested that it was painful watching me drywall and has undertaken this as a side activity at the school. Doug continues to be one of my favorite people and is a fine ambassador to our school.
Juan Carlos Fernandez from Caracas Venezuela does a mockup to test his compound angled shop made hinges before committing to the installation of them into his cabinet. Juan has a he right mind set for this type of work. We are looking forward to Juan joining our faculty this summer. Students have a great deal to learn from this fine young craftsman. Juan and his wife Beatriz received visits from Beatriz's mom and brother as well as a childhood friend of Juan's from Venezuela this past month. We are pleased to announce that Juan will be joining our faculty in May.
Craftsman Program
Ed Tickle from Kamloops British Columbia prepares his negative templates to be used to select his grain graphics. Ed has all his leg, frame and veneer stock parted out and is completing the preparation of his substraights. The table top cabinet is a delightful palette of Shedua, Afromosia and Castello Boxwood. Ed and Robert are heading down to Bellingham Washington next week to look at a Felder combination machine for his shop. Robert will be making several trips this summer to visit and assist alumni in setting up their shops.
Erik Copeland from Richmond Hill Ontario dials in the shop drawing of his joinery for his rocking chair of Red Cabruva which is now underway. With the layout bench filled with glue ups and his bench is filled with parts, Erik has taken to the floor by his bench to check joinery before heading to the mortiser. At this time of year every horizontal surface in the shop is filled with work underway.
Matt Hales from London England with the Apple veneers for the interior of his liquor cabinet of Macassar Ebony with integrated Jatoba stand. Matt looked at Cedar of Lebanon and eastern Maple before settling on a sweet piece of Apple which Robert brought back from Gilmers this past fall. Now that his interior veneers are settled Matt has moved onto the pressing of his veneers and substraights. Matt will have his hands full with this rather large piece which includes some interesting joinery and will require shop made hardware.
Walker Savage from Seattle Washington shown here finishing off his box in English Brown Oak, Olive and Cedar of Lebanon has most of the material parted out for his silver chest which will be made of Claro Walnut and Pau Ferro. Walker has been making good use of our dehumidification kiln as the Claro Walnut he selected at Gilmers was approaching thirty percent moisture content. Most of it is down to manageable levels now. Walker caught up with alumni Federico Mendez Castro in Seattle over the break where he selected the Pau Ferro material for his stand.
Douglas Hagerman from Gibsons British Columbia has installed his shop made hinges in his box of Indian Rosewood, Red Cabruva and Tiger Myrtle and has begun the dialing in of the doors. The top of the box is concave with the doors being convex. Douglas has completed the mockup for the stand which will include tapered laminations. Douglas has some exceptional Claro Walnut for his final piece, a desk based on the French Walnut desk made by JK and featured in The Impractical Cabinetmaker.
Paul Nielsen from Evergreen Alabama completed the mockup of his fly fishing desk which he now has underway in English Brown Oak and Shedua. Paul had to skin the stretchers for this desk to give him the desired graphics. A process in which the stretchers are essentially veneered. When doing work of this kind allowances must be made for shaping. With this complete Paul will be turning his attention to the joinery which will include twin live, floating and through and wedged mortise and tenon. Paul and his wife Robyn will be joining us for the summer before they return to Alabama where Paul will be setting up a shop.
Daisuke Tanaka from Nishio-shi, Aichi-ken Japan completed his drawers and has attached the box to the stand. He has moved onto the pulls. With this exceptional piece nearing completion Daisuke will be turning his attention to a bench as his next piece. Daisuke will be leasing Brian Newell's shop for the summer before returning this fall while he continues on with a second year of study in our Resident Craftsman Program. Daisuke received a visit from his fiance Mia over the break who will be joining him in Roberts Creek this fall. Daisuke has developed into a very fine craftsman. First year student will benefit a great deal by just watching this fine young craftsman work.
Adam Larson from Edmonton Alberta has spent much of his time outside enjoying our lovely spring weather with the steam box. Adam has all of his parts bent and laminated and has moved onto the double open mortise and tenon joinery on angles and curves. Adam, his wife Jodie and daughter Franka will be returning to Edmonton for the summer before returning this fall while Adam takes part in our Resident Craftsman Program. Adam has very good hand skills and a good eye and will set a fine example for next years first year students. Adam has shown a strong sense of community always willing to lend a hand. We are so pleased to have Adam and his lovely family with us for another year. Adam's father will be joining us this summer for Plane Making and Surfaces.
Dan Cearley from San Jose California applies his laminated baked in edges to his Baltic Birch substraight for his showcase cabinet. The cabinet will feature Costa Rican cocobolo frames and Nicaraguan cocobolo veneered panels which include pierce carving and marquetry. The cabinet has a V front which flows into a subtle curve. Robert and Dan have been discussing the possibility of bring back Dan for the Journeyman Program when our Craftsman students begin Tool & Hardware Making this fall. Dan sets a fine example of multitasking as he always has lots on the go. Over the break he used the schools Alaskan Chainsaw Mill to slab out some incredible local cedar burls. He has also constructed a forge to be used for tools making.
Michael Miller from Halfmoon Bay British Columbia shapes the pulls for his drawers. The pulls are cut out using a coping saw, then shaped using carving tools, knives and files. Michael's wall cabinet is nearing completion and has his mockup dialed in for a desk chair to be made out of Bubinga which he has parted out and settling, while he completes his cabinet. Michael has shown a real commitment to the school and the program putting in twelve hour days and commuting four forty five minutes twice each day. Michael's daughter Mandy will be joining us from California for this years graduation Ceremonies which will be held at the Gumboot Cafe in Roberts Creek. We are pleased Michael will be joining us for a second year at which time he will build a desk for his chair. Following graduation Robert will be assisting Michael in the dialing in of his shop in Halfmoon Bay.
Craftsman & Teacher Ian Godfrey assists Michael with the final fitting of his back panel. With his shop complete, Ian has a Danish inspired stool in ash underway which includes a twin housed compound angled joinery. Ian continues to develop as a fine craftsman and teacher and all of us at the school are grateful for his evolvement.
Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman assists Matt with the selection of his apple veneers for the interior of his liquor cabinet. This week Robert' s lectures included the making and installation of slider bolts, locks, drop and ring pulls. We began a new teaching schedule this week at the school. Robert spent each morning lecturing and with the students and spent each afternoon this week at his bench. The students have been very supportive of this and have made an effort to use this time to work. Students continue to bring questions and use the opportunity to watch Robert at work. Robert will be participating in our weekly walkarounds which take place each Monday at the school. Gary Kent our Relief Craftsman and Teacher has made an effort to join us for these sessions bringing his valuable insight to our craft.
Candid
Another future woodworker and the apple of his dad's eye, Douglas and Danielle's son Lukka
Robert takes his turn at cleaning the bags of the dust collector.
Alumni
Our Annual Student Alumni & Faculty Show will once again take place at the James & Britta Krenov Gallery and Gallery Five located just across the courtyard on May 9th 2008 at 7pm. If you have any new work you would like to present for this event please contact Robert at the school.
We are in the process of setting up websites for each of our Craftsman Program alumni. Please forward any images or text you would like included on your web page including a biography to yvonne@insidepassage.ca.
Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2008
There is limited space available in our Artisan Programs. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.
We have confirmed our first-year students for the 2008-2009 Craftsman Program. The group consists of men and women from Japan, Ireland, Columbia, United States & Canada. We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.
Guest Faculty Programs
As you may have noticed, with our Craftsman and Artisan Programs enjoying increasing popularity and after careful consideration we have cancelled our guest faculty programs for 2008. We have decided to reevaluate these programs for 2009. This summer, we will use these two weeks to make renovations and improvements to the school and gallery. We also hope to get away camping with our family and enjoy this incredible place in which we live.
Updates
Accreditation and website updates are still underway. Thank you for your patience. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our students past and present for their support, this school not only exists for you but because of you. I would also like to acknowledge the work of Ian Godfrey and Gary Kent our part time teachers for their assistance and of course Yvonne for keeping the school and our family on course.
Warmest Regards,
Robert