I had the opportunity to spend 12 weeks in the winter of 2003 at a course Robert was teaching. I can easily say the experience would have paled in comparison had Robert not been the head instructor. His overall woodworking knowledge and unfaltering commitment to craftsmanship was unprecedented and infectious to all his students throughout the three months. I was excited to hear he had the good fortune to open his own school and look forward to taking a course as soon as I have a chance. I’m confident that as well as a fantastic school, Inside Passage will foster a “community” of craftsmen.
Karel Aelterman — Gatineau, Québec
I have always been impressed by people who have been doing woodworking since they were kids. I thought that this was the only way to become a talented, successful cabinetmaker. I didn’t discover woodworking myself, however, until I moved to Canada in my early thirties. This paradigm kept me from developing a career as a furniture maker for quite some time. But the desire to become a cabinetmaker did not go away. As time went by, it was becoming more evident that enhancing the inherent beauty of wood was very fulfilling for me.
In 2003, I realized the time had come for me to face some of those old fears and circumstances led me to discover a course offered in Ontario where Robert Van Norman, as resident-instructor, was at that time the driving force behind a twelve-week intensive artisan cabinetmaking course.
Robert is able to translate his craftsmanship and passion into a thrilling experience for all students. He is an inspiring teacher and a warm person. He gave me confidence in my ability to accomplish fine work and helped me explore and discover my own personal sensitivity towards materials and form.
Anna Green — Seattle, Washington, USA
I have taken several classes from Robert and in each one I have been thoroughly impressed with the caliber of his teaching and his craftsmanship. Robert is a patient and competent instructor with a talent for understanding what his students want to know when they ask a question. Robert inspires me to put forth my best effort in my projects and not to settle for “good enough”. I very much look forward to taking classes from him in the future.
Tom Dull — San Francisco, California, USA
I can’t say enough good things about Robert Van Norman’s skill as a teacher. I never thought that I would have the patience or skill to hand-cut dovetails or hand plane surfaces and edges. As a matter of fact I would have considered myself a skeptic. I did know that there was something about woodwork done by Krenov students that just seemed “right”. This led me to a basic woodworking class taught by Robert. What a revelation! I still use all my machines, but then I can shut them off, open the doors, listen to music (or shavings) and really enjoy the wood.
Yes, I can make subtle edges and sweet surfaces. I can cut refined dovetails with a chisel. Robert’s skill with both wood and students of all abilities makes studying with him a true joy. He gives clear demonstrations, then gently cajoles his students into doing better work than they thought possible.
Scott Parkinson — Ottawa, Ontario
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have studied with Robert over 12 weeks in 2003. Robert was a patient and insightful instructor teaching both basic and advanced techniques, helping to tie them together with the necessary philosophy, approach and attitude that inspire a desire for perfection. His own knowledge, personal skill and dedication were invaluable as a teacher and mentor. Robert went above and beyond to make the course an amazing personal experience. For anyone interested in fine woodworking, I highly recommend the chance to study with Robert and his team. You can enter with few skills but a wish to learn, and leave with a solid working foundation and ignited passion.
Karin Matchett — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
I spent two weeks in Robert Van Norman’s class‚ in Ontario 2003, and I am thrilled now to start making treks from Minnesota to the west coast. Robert’s depth of knowledge about furniture-building will benefit any woodworker who approaches tools and wood with curiosity and love. But what Robert can do with furniture and wood is only half of it. He is a natural teacher: attentive, patient, generous, and smiling. Robert treats his students with great respect. My questions were welcome every step of the way, even when they sounded suspiciously like the questions of the day before and the day before that. Robert meets his students exactly where they are and simultaneously pushes them forward. I would travel to Tierra del Fuego for the program offered at Inside Passage; I’m grateful it’s only to Roberts Creek! (Although South America would be nice, too.)
Brent Currey — Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA
I met Robert a few years ago when I took a two-week beginning woodworking class at a school in Ontario. I was greatly impressed with his skill and his teaching style and thoroughly enjoyed the course. When I was considering taking another course I learned that he had opened Inside Passage. Since I was very interested in taking another course from Robert, and since it is so close to where I live, I decided to take a one-week course from him in the summer of ’05. While there, I decided to take the nine-month course that fall. I wasn't working at the time, and didn't really have any other commitments, so it was an easy decision for me.
I have to say that my time there was an experience of a lifetime. People arrive there from many different situations and backgrounds, but I considered myself pretty fortunate, at age 51, to be able to just drop everything on short notice and take a 9-month woodworking course. There was a real excitement in the beginning, I think partly because we were the first class to go through the program. I’m sure every class has its own dynamic, but as a group we really seemed to come together from the beginning, and throughout the course we enjoyed a supportive, creative environment. Of course, Robert’s teaching style had a lot to do with fostering that environment. The result is that you learn a great deal from your fellow students, from their good ideas, their successes, and even their mistakes. This is implemented formally in the weekly “walkarounds” where each student talks about the progress of their project, but it also happens on a more informal basis because you are in such close contact with the others and naturally curious about their projects.
As far as the technical skills gained through the program, I feel it was a bargain. I suppose some people can teach themselves the skills, or possibly learn through an apprenticeship, but it was unlikely that I would have ever learned on my own what I took away from that course. It gave me a confidence that I lacked. I didn't know much going into the course, but now I feel that I know how to approach all phases of a project, from concept to completion. We learned a great deal about design. Not just an aesthetic sense, but how to go from idea to sketches, to mockup, to final design, and how to evaluate the design and look for subtle changes that can affect the overall feeling of the piece. I also have a much better understanding of the overall process of furniture building. I now know how to use tools effectively, and how to modify them or make my own for special tasks. When I returned to my shop after completing the course, I noticed that it was almost as if my hands knew what to do without me having to think about it. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that I still have a lot to learn, but I know that this will come from experience. The course let me take a leap to a level of skill and confidence that would have taken me years to achieve.
Roberts Creek is in a beautiful area, and the town itself has a real charm and friendliness. The Pacific Northwest is like nowhere else, and I think people from the East are particularly amazed at its unique beauty.
As the course progresses, you will spend more time in the shop, including weekends and evenings. But the truth is, Roberts Creek doesn't offer that many distractions, and the school is where your friends are. At times the course can be stressful, particularly when you are trying to meet a project deadline. But as I mentioned to another student while I was there, if we weren't working this hard, we wouldn't feel we were getting our money’s worth.
Robert and Yvonne are truly kind and generous people who have thrown all of themselves into this endeavor, and it really shows. Being part of that group gave me a real sense of community. In fact, I still visit occasionally to try to keep that connection and always come home feeling inspired and recharged.