Arborigin is a collaborative project that brings together artists, designers and artisans to produce fine products from a single elm tree salvaged from Chicago’s urban forest. We invite those interested to submit a proposal to use some of our inventory of cured lumber and hope to bring the finished products together for a pop up store […]
Category Archives: Archive of Old Trees
Arborigin
The main trunk of the elm measures about 14’6″ long and 4′ in diameter I love reconnecting with old friends, especially when it involves consulting on the fate of a large tree. I first learned of my friend John’s elm when I posted his images and text as part of my Archive of Old Trees […]
Milling the Valley Oak
Shawn trims the ends of the felled trunk before quartering the log. I met my friend Shawn Gavin at the old Felta School near Healdsburg the other day to mill a Valley Oak. I had purchased the log from the school after it was felled for safety concerns last September, and have been eager to […]
Deep Deck Developments
A triad of Deep Deck longboards in American elm, ready for trucks and wheels I’ve been making small batches of my Deep Deck longboard in the background of other projects in the shop, laying up a new deck each day, trimming, sanding and finishing the previous day’s cured laminations. Making decks at this scale has […]
Stickered Table for Shed (process)
Two identical bases of green pecan, ready to receive the top, a giant slab of sycamore. Whenever I design and make a new piece of furniture, I’m always keenly aware of how it will age, and how the piece might transform over time to encourage and support future, as yet unforeseeable patterns of use. I’ve […]
Tree Consciousness
One of my few surviving drawings of trees from first and second grade My fascination with trees and wood dates from early childhood, when I would spend hours staring at trees in different seasons and trying to draw them as accurately as I was able, carefully mapping every branch, leaf or blossom. I remember getting […]
A Visit to House of Tree
West-facing elevation of House of Tree I’ve made just two visits to my recently completed House of Tree project and it already feels as though it’s always been there, or at least was always meant to be there. Climbing the 30 steps to the cabin, you wind around the inside of the tower, first facing […]