We have just completed our first semester of our Artisan Program for 2008. We have seven students who will be graduating including two who have taken the classes over a couple of years. On Thursday evening we held our graduation ceremonies and dinner at the Gumboot Restaurant just across the courtyard from the school.
Writing on the bathroom wall.
We have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a wonderful and highly motivated group of people. I would like to extend a special thank you to all our Artisan students and Resident Craftsman for making the first semester Artisan Program such a success. As Yvonne and I walked down to the Gumboot Restaurant for the graduation ceremonies on Thursday I said to Yvonne that the school was empty in the evening for the first time in six weeks!
The next Artisan Program commences in just two weeks. There is still limited room in a few classes. Call Yvonne at 1.877.943.9663 to reserve a bench. In the mean time we will continue with renovations at the school, gallery and office. Have a happy and safe long weekend. Heart Hand & Eye will resume publication on Saturday July 19th following the first Week of the second semester Artisan Program. At that time we will be include photographs of the exciting renovations underway at the school, gallery and office.
Warmest Regards,
Robert
Artisan Program
from left Dan, Robert, Jack, Kunga, Ryan, Kathleen, the Unknown Craftsman & Josh
JK Lectures
In this week's lecture, Jim spoke about coopering and delivered his farewell address to this semester's Artisan Program graduating class. A couple of our Artisan Program graduates will be heading down to visit with Jim and Britta when they finish up next week. Jim's inspiring words will soon be available on our website.
Resident Craftsman
Juan Carlos from Caracas Venezuela shares with the class the installation of shop made hinges knife hinges. In addition to a speculative piece Juan Carlos has a small commissioned box of red cedar underway. Juan made modified butt hinges for this box conveniently with hardware making underway this week at the school. We are very fortunate to have Juan Carlos with us. He is a fine craftsman with a warm and gentle way of sharing our craft with others.
Doug Ives from Gibsons British Columbia has taken the week to visit a few clients in Vancouver and take in the Vancouver Jazz Festival which wraps up this weekend. He will be returning next week to complete renovations at our new gallery and office before moving onto speculative and commission work
Artisan Program
Jack West from Fort Jones California makes a cove cut on the table saw to remove the waste on the mockup of his fly rod case. The interior surfaces will then be cleaned with a shop made coopering plane with a modified plane iron. Jack took full advantage of his time at the school. I looked forward to his arrival each morning, and will dearly miss the enthusiasm we share for our craft.
Kunga Delotsange from New York via Tibet makes a caul for his drawer assembly. Kunga and his wife Heather recently purchased a home in Roberts creek and will be hosting one of our families during the Craftsman Program. They plan to return next summer. The coast can use more families like this one. A fine craftsman with a lovely family.
Ryan Inmann from Vancouver via South Africa checks the depth of the cap iron slot on a small jointer plane of boxwood. Ryan has successfully completed the last of the Artisan Program which he took over two years. It has been a real pleasure to have him at the school and I have enjoyed very much watching the progress of this fine young craftsman. It was nice to have Ryan's young family join us this summer.
Kathleen Murphy from Edmonton Alberta uses a mill file to shape her shop made L hinges. Kathleen has made significant progress since arriving at the school, building upon her commercial cabinetmaking experience. Kathleen intends to make a transition into working at this craft full time. She has solid foundation and the right approach to our craft and I suspect will be successful in whatever the future brings for this fine young cabinetmaker.
Josh Shrae from Anchorage Alaska checks the edge on his block plane iron. Sharpening considered one of our most fundamental skills is an ongoing activity at the school. Sharp tools make the work more enjoyable and yield better results. Josh will be returning to Alaska on Sunday before heading to Montana where he will be involved in a timber frame project. A fine craftsman and a real pleasure to have here at the school.
Dan McCallum from Vancouver British Columbia uses a block plane to shape the edges of a small edge plane of ipe. Plane Making continues to be a side activity throughout the six week program. This is Dan's sixth class at the school, always a pleasure having Dan at the school. The class and I visited Dan's shop in Vancouver this past week. Dan has one of the most impressive selections of locally harvested material that I have seen. Dan donated a couple of exquisite book matched slabs of elm, some deador cedar and catalpa. He also sent several planks home with this years Artisan class. A generous and very capable craftsman.
Faculty
On the last week of the Artisan Program Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman shares with the class the making of shop made hardware including hinges, pulls, drop pulls, flipper floppers and consoles. Students were also given the opportunity to explore finishing. During the final week of the Artisan Program the class size is kept smaller to allow students to finish up existing exercise and suggest additional topics which this week included chainsaw milling, steam bending, hot pipe bending, secret compartments, cove cutting, inserts, and life after school.
Wood Run & Shop Tour
This past Monday the students and I went on a wood run and visited a couple of shops in the lower mainland.
Kathleen and Ryan sort through a few planks of 12/4 curly maple. Josh in the background looks at some 20/4 sycamore at lumberyard in Chilliwack.
Chainsaw Milling
On the last Friday afternoon of the Artisan Program the students were introduced to Chainsaw Milling. This past year one of our Craftsman Alumni donated an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill to the school which has already seen allot of use. I would like to thank Dan McCallum from this years graduating Artisan class for sharing with the group his extensive experience harvesting his own material in this way.
Kunga and the unknown craftsman start the cut at the crotch of a pecan donated to the school by a resident of Roberts Creek.
Ryan and Kathleen take the first slab after the center cut of a log of local pecan.
Facility
Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of our new gallery and office.
Our gallery and office will be moving across the courtyard into the cottage adjacent to the Gumboot Cafe. In addition to our students alumni and faculty work, the Other End of the Plank Gallery, will also feature the work of a selected group of local artists and artisans. At the school, this means the addition of a dedicated Wood Room and new Benchroom for Robert with ample light and a separate entrance. With the additional room, we will be expanding our current inventory of hand picked planks.
"I made one object at a time because of the wood, because of the tools, with a certain idea and hope, and somehow these objects won friends and gradually, gradually, my confidence and experience increased. But for a very long time, it was touch and go. Even now, although people may think that I have got it made and things are going fine, even now I am only carrying my end of the plank. Someone else who is sharing life with me has believed from the beginning in what I am trying to do is carrying the other end of that plank"
Alumni
The grand opening of Other End of the Plank Gallery will take place the day after first Elephants. We hope that you will join us.
Craftsman alumni Daisuke Tanaka is currently working Brian Newell's shop in Japan for the summer before returning to Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking for his second year of study. Daisuke sent us this photographs of Brian's shop filled with fine machines. We are egerly awaiting this fine young craftsman's return.
Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2008 -2009
There is limited space available in our Artisan Programs for 2008. 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.
Artisan Program Schedule for 2009