Welcome to our web site and the current publication of Heart Hand and Eye, Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking's newsletter celebrating the work of our students, alumni and faculty.
James Krenov
1920-2009
"Wanting to be a craftsman, or a woodworker, there are, I believe limited choices. The emphasis these days is on novelty, efficiency with very little individual contribution; many schools follow this trend. There are relatively few schools, in fact very few schools that educate a person to become a complete craftsman in wood. One of the schools I have been following and observing is at Roberts Creek in Canada, it is called Inside Passage School. I know the people there, I like what they are doing and I like very much the way they are doing it. The emphasis is on hand skills, not primitive methods but efficient skills. Work that that can be traced to the maker, the hand, the eye and the heart.
The staff is open and warm and generous and there is an opportunity there at Roberts Creek to develop the skills that support this approach. In fact the kind of work that I have for many years encouraged, the craftsman as an individual. I think that this will emerge gradually as the school for the complete craftsman. If I were starting my life today as a craftsman, and needed to learn what matters the most; my choice would be Inside Passage School."
Jim Krenov's hand tools have arrived in Robert's benchroom. A couple of his machines including his table saw with slot mortiser and his jointer and planer now grace our machine room floor. They will see limited use and serve as a fine examples simplicity. In addition we have added a vintage 1966 Wadkin Dimension Saw shown above with cast iron slider and micro adjustment fence.
Josie, in one of her favorite spots, on JK's mechanical veneer press in Robert's benchroom.
Resident Craftsmen 2010-2011
Inside Passage is proud and grateful to announce our selections for the Resident Craftsman Program for 2010-2011.
Barbara Shelton takes questions during the marquetry lecture, will be returning for a third year of study. She will join Evan Bush, Hyung Soo Hong, Michael Opalski, Meredith Walker and Steve Wolf who will all be returning for a second year of study. Daisuke Tanaka, who is finishing off his third year may also be returning for a fourth year space permitting.
Resident Craftsmen Blog is published by our resident craftsmen in an effort to keep friends, family and potential students abreast of happenings at the school.
Last month, Steve Neil, Byron VanderBeek and Steve Wolf spent the day chainsaw milling with Artisan Program alumni Dan McCallum. They returned the next day very tired with another truckload of material for the school. Yvonne and I are very grateful for their efforts.
Dan has graciously donated thousands of feet of locally harvest slabs to our school over the past few years. Including Elm, Catalpa, Port Orford Cedar, Maple, Cypress and Oak. We are all very grateful for your generosity of your time and materials. Our dehumidification kiln has been running steady since last spring.
The students and I have just returned from our annual wood run to Portland Oregon. We are frantically trying to make room for the very impressive inventory in transit including Swiss Pear, Claro Walnut, Lebanese Cedar, Black Limba, Cocobolo, Spanish Cedar, Verawood, Curly Costello Boxwood, Bocote, Ziricote, Masur Birch, Padouk, Ceylon Satinwood, Santos Rosewood, Tambootie, Curly Madrone, Camphor, Blackwood, Kingwood and Madagascar Ebony. Yvonne says we need less wood, I think you can never have enough wood, we just need more space.
Student & Faculty Work
Craftsman Program 2009
If you would like to view more of our work follow the link below
Fine Furniture Online
Alumni & Faculty. We will be publishing new work from this years program in May.
"I live in a beautiful place and work at something Ilove. I make enough money to live and my demands on the worlds resources are very meager."
John Brown
In the past five years we have had nearly five hundred students from Japan, Korea, Australia, Colombia, South Africa, United States, Canada, Germany, Ireland, England, Romania, Barbados, Zimbabwe, Switzerland and Venezuela.
I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude to all of our students, alumni and faculty, this school not only exists for you but because of you.
We are accepting registrations for our Artisan Program for 2010. 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 are currently accepting applications for the 2010-2011 Craftsman Program.
Our Next exhibition of student, alumni and faculty work will take place at our annual open house which will take place on December 19, 2009 at our schools Heart Hand & Eye Gallery. There will be more information regarding this event in the next publication of our newsletter.
After reviewing the curriculum of both our Artisan and Craftsman Programs with Jim this past summer, we will be continue to make minor refinements to each of our programs. Descriptions will be updated in the coming months. If you have any questions please call Yvonne on our toll free number 1.877.943.9663.
We will be enlisting the services of a web designer to assist us with the design of our new website. We hope to have it up in the new year.
I would to thank my soul mate, my friend, my partner in life and work for keeping me, our school and our family on course.
Be well and enjoy your work,
Robert
