Today is Day 2 of the workshop and a history lesson never goes unappreciated ...
As our little incubator slowly warms up on this lovely morning I find myself dozing off at my work station and in desperate need of sleep or a major dose of coffee. The last few days have been an adventure for everyone and things have yet to settle. The experimental workshop has not yet taken its mature form, but we are getting there ... slowly. It is actually a beautiful thing to witness how the participants, artists and lecturers with their different customs, cultures and history can come together on Fogo Island and give birth to a creative environment and begin to operate as their own little community. Beautiful to watch and a little exhausting to create, but all good things take time ... so say the wise. And I truly believe them.
I down a mug of coffee in a matter of seconds, feeling the burning satisfaction run down my throat, into my belly and coursing through my exhausted matter. It works ... for about a minute. But then the time has arrived to begin and Walter Peddle, expert on Outport furniture and author of The Dynamics Of Outport Furniture Design: Adaption And Culture and The Traditional Furniture of Outport Newfoundland starts to share his wealth of knowledge with the audience. His speaks with true genius on the subject matter, holds a long pointer in one hand and talks vigorously with the other while a large series of slides project on the screen behind him. One by one the slides show us furniture many Newfoundlanders are used to seeing in homes across the province, but Walter takes us beyond those things we see and shows us the things we don't see. The details, the simplicity, the beauty and of course the materials. I am surprised when I learn just how much of this Outport furniture was made using repurposed materials and reclaimed wood from barrels, fish crates and boxes. Many times in my childhood (and that wasn't very long ago) I remember seeing pieces of furniture in the homes of relatives with strange printings on the back and have only now realized that these pieces were made from old packing materials or barrels ... my eyes are open now, literally.
Next up is Mike Paterson, cabinet maker and woodworker living in Bonavista Bay, and another expert on furniture. Mike's presentation shows just how sexy outport designs can be and like Walter he gives insight into the details of this precious art. The slides of turned bed posts, windows and cabinets are simply stunning and hide nothing. I am left excited and wanting more. But I have to make the dash to pick up three more participants and I need to hurry ... I don't want to miss anymore and neither should the newcomers. This is good stuff.www.patersonwoodworking.com
We end the day by gathering everyone near the work area and making wooden names tags to hang around our necks. No standard-issue-plastic-pinned-to-your-shirt style names tags for us ... and extra points are awarded for creativity. There is something very special about these personalized name tags. Each personality is showcased along with the names and it will certainly help you remember the names of the participants easily. As I write this post it is 7 days into the workshop (oops) and I don't think anyone wears their names tags anymore. I guess they worked.
+ + + Greg White
I discovered your site when I was tracking down images of my family. Walter Peddle is my father's uncle. My father is Henry Sheppard, son of Augustus O. and Mary Ann (nee Peddle) Sheppard, formerly of Harbour Grace, NFLD. And who knows? Maybe that's why woodworking has always been one of my interests!
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