Australian Wood Review – June 2019

96 Australian Wood Review

L

ast year Sam Sheppard, 25

decided to put his career as a

dentist on hold and travel to the UK

to undertake a full-time course in fine

furniture making at Waters & Acland.

We asked Sam if it was all worthwhile.

AWR: Starting with the obvious question:

why did you travel all the way to the UK to

learn woodworking and furniture making?

SS: In my job I was constantly

bombarded with the question, ‘Why

on earth would you want to be a

dentist, why not do something else?’

Perhaps this got to me, but ultimately

I felt that it was time for a change.

I was really impressed by Waters &

Acland, and I have always wanted to

spend time abroad, so it seemed like

the right choice.

AWR: Your final self-designed piece is

complex with all kinds of angles and

intersecting components. Did you

have skills already? In brief, what’s

your background?

SS: I had always enjoyed tinkering in

the shed, but my skills were limited to

some pretty basic DIY projects. I did

a fantastic Windsor chair course at

Rundell & Rundell as a trial run before

committing to the course, but I would

say I was pretty much a beginner.

AWR: On a personal level, what’s

it like leaving your life behind to

transplant yourself into an out of town

location in a foreign country? Did

you feel like you’d put yourself under

pressure to return home with the goods,

so to speak?

SS: It is an enormous challenge,

and there are definitely times I felt

homesick, but the experience has

really broadened my horizons, and

I have had the opportunity to meet

a lot of great people and explore

beautiful places. I definitely felt the

pressure to get as much out of the

experience as possible, but I didn’t

really feel I owed that to anyone

but myself.

AWR: What was the brief for your

first self-designed piece? Did it have

to incorporate certain elements or fit

specific criteria?

SS: The brief was very open in terms

of what piece of furniture we made,

however it had to be primarily solid

wood, and incorporate at least one

traditional piston fit drawer.

AWR: Tell us about the inspiration

for your design? What did the design

process involve and how long did it take?

Do you feel you have added your own

personality and style?

An Overseas Investment

Travelling overseas to study is a considerable financial and personal

commitment. An interview with Samuel Sheppard looks at the return.

FEATURE