Artist Statement

Gary Rawlins Woodworker

Some people call my work “understated.”  I don’t disagree; it certainly isn’t flamboyant.  I like wood, solid wood.  It has a reassuring sound of quality, a recognizable ring.  I have been acquiring solid wood for many years now, and I turn to my special collection of woods, [some rather exotic, some fairly common, some from far off shores, and some from my own back yard,] for inspiration and ideas.  I live with my wood, often picking through the stacks, looking at color, figure, grain patterns, and when the time is right, a certain board will strike me.  “Ah, yes.  This piece of curly maple will make a beautiful table top, and that straight-grain walnut will be perfect for the legs.”  Or another plank might be just right as a cabinet door panel.  Or a graceful curve in another piece could lead to an interesting shape, or an unusual design.

I like to keep my work simple.  I don’t do inlays, or intricate carvings.  Instead, I like to show-off the beauty of nature’s artwork.  I’m always on the look-out for unusual pieces of wood.  Wood with interesting figure, or color, or grain.  Wood that I say is “pre-decorated.”  My job, then, is to show this wood off as elegantly as I can, without getting in the way, myself.  In a way, my work is more about the material than it is about me, although, I am there, just behind the scenes.

Working only with solid wood can have its limitations.  And when it is appropriate, I do work with veneer.  But, I don’t use commercial veneers, which are paper thin.  No, I make my own veneer, from solid stock.  I have a very nice Italian made band saw, and a very special American made saw blade.  And with the blade set just right, and with a delicate touch of the hand, I can saw very nice, even veneers, 3/32” thick, that I can then edge glue into larger panels and produce veneered cabinets or table tops that will last a very long time, indeed.  It is a bit more work, but such veneers are just as durable as solid wood, and they are much more stable in use.

My goal is to produce timeless, elegant pieces of furniture.  Pieces that will give you a feeling of harmony, and a sense of durability.  Pieces that, through the years, become more and more beautiful.  Pieces that you will want to leave to your children.