Wood Stories
a quarterly letter
Wood Stories
I’ve written about my work with young people in Detroit in previous newsletters, but this story is taking us to the Venice Biennale - one of the most famous international cultural exhibitions.
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I’ve been designing and building furniture here in Michigan for 10 years now. Throughout that time, work has been steady and always with great, challenging commissions. I can’t believe my good fortune. However, whenever the end is in sight – say my last piece is 2 months from completion – I go into a panic thinking that this will be my last contract, and that I will have to go out and get a real job.
Here in Michigan, my sawyer friend, John Haling was cutting up a rotten piece of hickory for firewood, when he saw the figure inside, and thought, “I wonder if Walt can use this in a project?”
For the last 6 years, I’ve spent most of my Saturday mornings working with young people at the Brightmoor Makerspace in Detroit...
An Issue of Gratitude
In 2014, I returned to the U.S. and moved in with my brother, Joel in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in large part, to help him look after our aging parents. I built a workshop in his garage and opened a small custom furniture making business. Today, business is good: I’m now in a new home with a bigger workshop.
The Arts & Crafts [fair] Issue
Thanks to all who came out to visit me at the Ann Arbor Art Fair last July. I had a wonderful location, the weather was perfect (except for the obligatory Art Fair hailstorm which always shows up), and hundreds of friends – new and old – stopped by to say hi and see my work. If you’ve worked with me in the past, you will know that investing in fine-art custom furniture can be a major decision and unlikely to be an impulse buy at the fair. So, I was overjoyed to have received two big commissions and many, many leads.
Come visit me at the Ann Arbor Art Fair!
July 20, 21, & 22
Booth WA834
On the corner of Washington St. and Ingalls Mall
It’s been said that as you get older you do fewer things for the first time and more things for the last time. My days of fell running and long distance cycling are, sadly, behind me. But come visit me at my booth at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. It’s my first time.
The Tappenden Collection
Every morning at 7:30, I would take my dog, Betsy to the school park behind my house to romp for a half hour with other dogs from the neighborhood. Typical of this college town, all the other owners are a Who’s Who of achievement: doctors, psychologists, professors, a retired physician from Doctors Without Borders, the Women’s golf coach...
Why a newsletter?
I moved to Ann Arbor in 2014 and started building furniture in my brother’s garage. Since then, I’ve always had a steady stream of exciting commissions – often from repeat customers. Thank you...
Happy Holidays
I’ve tried hard to avoid this theme in the past, but I think there’s no getting around it now: We’re settling down. Maybe it’s the rhythms of rural life, or the fact that autumn has just arrived, but our pace and routine is decidedly middle-aged...