4.30.2012

Wendell Berry on Affection

Wendell Berry. Photo Guy Mendes
Photo Guy Mendes
Wendell Berry, the poet, essayist, farmer, novelist and conservationist was recently awarded the prestigious honor of delivering the 41st Jefferson lecture in the Humanities, titled "It All Turns on Affection"- sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Berry provides a beautifully expressed voice for the ideas that so many more young people are beginning to turn to in terms of what we need heading into the future. Put simply, we need AFFECTION- not just for each other but for "the possibility of a neighborly, kind and conserving economy". Sounds like hippy stuff?? Berry will undoubtedly convince you of the fundamental necessity behind this idea. I'm sure of it.  

Read the transcript HERE

Watch the video HERE  [skip to 11min to skip the intro]


Thanks again to Greenhorns

4.28.2012

College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture Open House & Spring Show

OPEN HOUSE 
Thursday, May 3, 5–7 p.m.
An exhibit of student accomplishments
in their natal environment.
440 Alger Street, Fort Bragg


SPRING EXHIBITION
May 5-31
Reception May 12, 5-8pm
Highlight Gallery, Mendocino CA
 

4.25.2012

Starting to look like a chair

Darrick Rasmussen Furniture, Vidar Chair

Darrick Rasmussen Furniture, Vidar Chair

Just a bit over a week left to complete the chair. Looks like someone just needs her arms shaped... oh and maybe the seat part too, which will be hand woven by Darrick in Danish cord.

4.23.2012

Meet Eric

Eric Trine, Maker of Things
Artist Feature coming up with the artist/maker Eric Trine. I would describe Eric as a maker of things for the home, but that sounds rather limiting. He's an artist really. Currently he is acquiring an MFA in Applied Craft and Design at the joint program offered by the Pacific Northwest College of Art and Oregon College of Art & Craft  in Portland [both of us very envious!]. Him and his wife Heather are two lovely humans.

For now check out what Eric has been making HERE.

4.20.2012

Recent Print Finds

 This isn't me being well-read. This is me with a collecting problem. Old print offers some of the best visual inspiration and SOMETHING to pull my swollen eyeballs away from a computer screen for a moment.








I actually AM reading this.

We touch things to assure ourselves of reality. We touch the objects of our love. We touch the things we form. Our tactile experiences are elemental. If we reduce their range, as we do when we reduce the necessity to form things ourselves, we grow lopsided. 

Anni Albers on Tactile Sensibility, On Weaving

4.16.2012

Drawing 4.14.12

Lana Fee Rasmussen Art, Ink on Paper
Balding. Ink on Paper. 22"x30". Lana Fee Rasmussen.

4.13.2012

Shop Party at Ejler Hjorth Westh's place

Ejler Hjorth Westh shop

Ejler Hjorth Westh shop
 This past weekend, Ejler [Dane, instructor, furniture maker, boat builder, fisherman] invited everyone over to his home/shop for a nice Saturday evening. Him and his wife Karen live in the very beautiful Elk, CA.
Ejler Hjorth Westh shop

Ejler Hjorth Westh
Ejler. The man himself, a bit younger.
Ejler Hjorth Westh shop

Ejler Hjorth Westh shop
Darrick guessed that this is a running list of all the names Ejler's been called.

Ejler Hjorth Westh shop

A big Dane enjoying the great American jello shot. 

Ejler Hjorth Westh shop
 Ejler teaches a wooden boat building class every summer, but here sits his personal lady, operated by man power only.
Ejler Hjorth Westh shop

Ejler Hjorth Westh shop
Darrick and I both triumphed this evening. I was a runner up for the skull identification challenge earning me the generous Skulls Unlimited International Catalog. D snagged the clearly haunted voodoo elephant statue for the shooting contest. Way to go? My only regret is that we didn't stay the night and engage in something I heard involving shot guns the following day. Next year.

4.10.2012

Year 2 at College of the Redwoods!

Darrick Rasmussen furniture
 DARRICK'S FACE BEFORE he found out he was accepted to the competitive second year of study at the College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture Woodworking program. 


Darrick Rasmussen furniture
DARRICK'S FACE AFTER! Bravo! We cut his hair last night too as you can see in this photo-realistic noseless and earless sketch, making his beard a bit more prominent.

4.07.2012

Food Foward TV Series on PBS




PBS is rolling out the new Food Forward TV series documenting food warriors and the change they are invoking in the quality and integrity of our food. Each episode highlights various efforts and the people behind them, such as- lunch ladies, grass-fed farmers, urban agriculturalists and surfer/fisherman. There are about a million food docs these days, but come on... it's PBS.

Check your PBS for listings

Thank you to the Greenhorn's blog the irresistible fleet of bicycles for passing this along!

4.04.2012

Spring


out front


Hail storm a couple days ago.

Beach days.
Those Swedish legs have been in the dark for a while.


Big River Headlands, Mendocino CA
Big River Headlands

4.02.2012

Touring the shop

College of the redwoods furniture
Adam

College of the redwoods furniture
Andy

College of the redwoods furniture
Anton

College of the redwoods furniture
Dan

College of the redwoods furniture
Bryce

College of the redwoods furniture
John




Darrick Rasmussen furniture
Darrick's last glue up.


Darrick Rasmussen furniture

college of the redwoods furniture
And of course the infamous mock-up sacrifice.