the reassembled 1/4 scale substrate for the Vermillion Rockfish sculpture

After tracing sectional contours for full scale fabrication in steel, I’ve reassembled the wooden parts of the two 1/4 scale models of fish sculptures for our Abundance project. Next I build up a layer of clay over the wooden substrates to approximate the outermost surfaces, which will be ceramic tile mosaic on the finished pieces. Next week I will present the clay covered models to the San Francisco Arts Commission for final approval.

The layer of clay will also help when we’re fabricating the full size sculptures, enabling us to measure the depth of the outer tile substrate, which will be fiberglass-reinforced gypsum. Building the sculptures will be a little like forensic anthropology, in reverse.

model of the Vermillion Rockfish, skinned in clay

To follow the story of our Abundance Project for the Ortega Branch of the SF Public Library, click here and scroll down.

Tagged: contemporary art, deep craft, innovation, public art, scott Constable, sculpture, sf arts commission, wowhaus

the underside of this pallet reminds me of a Mayan city

At some point when making a sculpture or piece of furniture, my job is simply to convey a load to the ground. The perennial challenge is to invent or interpret a structural program that gets the job done but adds something new in the process. I usually begin by looking to natural forms- to the structural properties of a material, or to the material’s source- the tree in the case of wood. But I also find inspiration in engineered forms, like the pallet pictured above, whose underside resembles a Mayan city. The pressed form has me trying to make connections between the mundane task of conveying a load and the magical cosmology of Mesoamerica.

my chair for Becoming Independent conveys a load on two levels both laterally and vertically

Tagged: craft philosophy, deep craft, innovation, inspiration, mesoamerica, scott Constable

The number twelve holds perennial cultural significance

Wishing good harvests and peace to all for the new year, in honor of the twelve days of Christmas and their origins in ancient Yuletide festivals.

Tagged: deep craft, twelve, vernacular, yuletide

a bounty of foraged hedgehog, pig’s ear, white prince* and cauliflower mushrooms

Earlier this week, my friend Josef Szuecs invited me to join him on a late season mushroom foraging expedition. Joe has been writing a seasonal Mushroom Report for DeepCraft, and is deeply steeped in mushroom culture, having collected, cooked and eaten wild mushrooms since he was a boy. Over the years, I have occasionally hunted mushrooms with friends who like to cook with foraged goods, but remain a novice in the field of mycology, and will be forever respectful of the risks inherent in eating wild fungi. I’m grateful for Joe’s expertise in the field, and have been carefully preparing my harvest, eating the hedgehogs straight up, drying the black chanterelles by the fire, and frying the rest for freezing.

*Note: The edibility of the White Prince is disputed, and Joe advises against eating it. Continue Reading »

Tagged: california coast, california flora, deep craft, mushrooms, mycology, phenology, sonoma coast

my Elder Chair sidles up to a JB Blunk sculpture at Green’s Restaurant in SF

I’ve been commissioned to design a dining chair for Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, one of my favorite spots in the Bay Area. The restaurant’s challenge has been to update its environs while respecting its origins, specifically the zen handwork of Paul Discoe, who designed and fabricated much of the original interior, and the artistry of JB Blunk, who created a site specific, functional sculpture for the original restaurant.

The management staff of Greens consulted my friend Mariah Nielson to narrow the search for an appropriate artisan/designer. Trained as an architect, Mariah now runs a thriving residency program in honor of her father, the sculptor JB Blunk. She thought my approach to furniture would resonate with the vegetarian/locavore ethos of Greens, and harmonize with the work of her late father. I presented my Elder Chair (pictured above) to the Greens management team, including acclaimed chef Annie Somerville, and they loved it. I’ve agreed to design a simpler version, without arms, that meets their requirements of simplicity, durability and elegant utility. I’m truly honored for the opportunity to add to the enduring legacy of Greens.

Tagged: Annie Somerville, chair design, deep craft, furniture design, green design, greens restaurant, jb blunk, mariah nielson, paul discoe, scott Constable, slow food, woodworking

the house I built with George Smith, Germantown, NY, 1988-89

I’m a strong believer in apprenticeship as a paradigm for learning anything. Much of what I have put into practice in woodcraft and architecture I owe to my friend and mentor, George Smith of Tivoli, New York, with whom I worked side by side building small houses and furniture over twenty years ago. Constructed over the course of two years, the house pictured above is where George raised his young family.

In a traditional craft training like my own, learning to pay attention to more than the work at hand begins with apprenticeship. “Apprentice” shares roots with “apprehend” which means “to become conscious of, as through the senses; to perceive”. My relationship with woodcraft and with my mentor was pure sensorial experience. A good apprentice does not think so much as trust the teacher to bodily train in the sensibilities of the craft, however obliquely relevant at the time. To this day, the most valuable lesson I gleaned as an apprentice over twenty years ago is that on a staggeringly lovely day it’s best to close the shop and find a swimming hole.

To follow the thread of my most recent architectural project, please click here and scroll down.

Tagged: apprenticeship, craft philosophy, deep craft, scott Constable, traditional craft, vernacular architecture, woodworking

nearly ripe Hachiya Persimmon, ready to be peeled and hung to dry

Looking up at the persimmon tree’s wild constellation of fruit still languidly dangling, you’d hardly know we already picked over two bushels for drying. Ene recently discovered the Japanese art of Hoshigaki, a technique of drying fruit by a combination of open-air hanging and hand massaging. The fruit is picked before it fully ripens, with a section of branch left attached, then it is peeled and hung for several weeks, gently squeezed daily after a skin develops; the massaging brings out the sugars. Our studio is rimmed with drying persimmon, adding to the season’s festive atmosphere.

peeled persimmon are hung to dry, still attached to the branch

our Hachiya Persimmon tree is still loaded with fruit

Tagged: california flora, deep craft, DIY, gardening, hoshigaki, persimmon, phenology, slow food, traditional craft