http://www.woodreview.com.au 71PROFILEQ&A
What and who has been the biggest
influence on your work?
Probably my grandfather, having seen
him go from architecture into furniture.
He built his own house and then a
workshop. That’s still very nostalgic to
me – when I come into my workshop
in the morning, it smells like his
workshop. And there are others like
Hamish Hill. He’s the kind of person
I learn best from; the person that
answers a question with a question
rather than just showing you how to
do something.
Whose work do you admire?
I kind of struggle with favourites. I like
chefs – the fact they have access to
a fixed range of ingredients but it’s
the way you bring them together that
requires creativity. Anyone can go to a
timberyard and buy the same timber,
anyone can own the same tools but it
requires a different way of thinking.
Where do you get your ideas from?
I try not to look at (the work of) too
many other makers. I sketch a lot.
I probably have about 20 pieces in
my sketch book that will never be
made. There might be ideas that get
incorporated into other pieces.
Favourite tool?A tablesaw – the amount of stuff you can
do on it, the accurate and diverse joinery
you can cut perfectly straight off the tool.Favourite wood?Spotted gum because everyone hates
it and complains about it being oily
and how it delaminates. I think it’s just
about understanding the material, and
it does take a long time to work with a
timber like spotted gum.What do you dislike most about
this work?It’s something that I dislike but
perversely enjoy at the same
time – the toll it takes on your body
and your hands. There’s not too
many jobs that can make you feel
exhausted but with a such a sense
of relief and reward at the end. You
deliver a piece and you see the
reaction of the client.What do you think woodworkers
should do better?Interact with designers and creatives
outside the world of furniture –
ceramicists, painters, artists, chefs.
If you lock yourself away in a very
woody world your furniture is going to
look very woody.Your best advice to others who want
to make a career in woodwork?Learn from as many other makers
as possible, which is not what I did.
Go and work with someone else, do
an internship. See different ways of
doing tasks and then come up with
your own. You’ll also learn about the
pace you should be working at and
the safety aspects. Learn from other
people and try to not copy other
people’s work.11
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