Australian Wood Review – June 2019

98 Australian Wood Review

In the workshop we are taught by

Graham and Tim who are incredibly

patient and knowledgeable, with a

wealth of cabinetmaking experience,

which is important when they are

presented with the often mind

boggling designs that come out of

the office. This environment means

that all the students are focused on

doing each project to the highest

level they can, and so commit to a

creating a small number of very high

level pieces.

AWR: Are there any skills or

methodologies that apply to both

dentistry and woodworking? What are

your plans for the future and will you be

returning to dentistry?

FEATURE

SS: There are actually. Other than

the obvious drill crossover, would you

believe sometimes dentists actually

use dovetails too? On a different scale

a lot of the skills are very similar, but

I do find that woodwork is a little less

stressful for everyone involved. That

being said I do miss working with

and helping people when I am in the

workshop, so I am hoping to try and

strike up a balance between both

careers when I finish here.

AWR: So what do you like most about

woodworking and furniture making now?

SS: The opportunity to take an idea,

and then from that create an object

which is beautiful and will hopefully

be used and cherished for a lifetime is

hard to beat.

AWR: Just as an aside, why do you call

yourself Hopmans Furniture?

SS: It’s because of my maternal

grandfather, he was my father figure

growing up and he sort of inspired my

passion for working with my hands.

So this is my way of honouring that,

as Hopmans was his last name.

AWR: Do you have any advice for

anyone thinking of taking the plunge

and committing to a full time course,

here or abroad?

SS: I would wholeheartedly say go

for it! It might not be easy but if

it is something you are truly

passionate about then it will be

more than rewarding enough to

make it worth it.

Photos: Oliver Waters

Waters & Acland is a furniture

making business and fine woodworking

school run by Oliver Waters and Will

Acland that is situated in the English

Lakes District national park in

England. Learn more at https://www.

watersandacland.co.uk/

Contact Samuel Sheppard at

[email protected] or via

Instagram @hopmansfurniture

Above: With

its many angles

and intersecting

components, gluing

up the Jacobsen hall

table was complex

and had to be done

in stages.

Right: Sam’s maple

Bubble Box wall

cabinet with rounded

dovetailed carcase

was made almost

entirely with

hand tools.

Below: Monti

bedside cabinets,

sycamore and oak.

The design of the

drawer fronts was

inspired by imagery

of draped silk cloth

on marble sculptures.