I really enjoy paging through books which are basically galleries of other woodworker’s work. Books such as Lark’s 400 Wood Boxes, 500 Wood Bowls. Or Beneath The Bark: 25 Years of Woodturning. However, those are the only three books of this sort that I have found. Are there any other good galleries in book form out there?
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
– Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer
Replies
Taunton's Design Book series is certainly worth perusing. They're all out of print now, but some volumes are available used. The first one is called Biennial Design Book, and the others are Design Book Two through Design Book Seven.
-Steve
http://www.furnituresociety.org
http://www.cambiumbooks.com
http://www.inhabitat.com/category/furniture/
http://www.furnituremasters.org/art.cfm
There's many books out there. Look for books by Dona Mielach. She was of the first to profile furniture makers.
Edited 4/25/2008 9:32 am ET by RickL
Not a book!! But a great place for inspiration for the tradititionalist. Go look at the member gallery and drool and imagine doing that kind of work, of course they're are members here who have work there, and for all I know it may be you??
http://www.sapfm.org/
Mouse jockey
Tracy Kidder's "House" is a novel that gets inside the heads of two old Western Mass. carpenters building a fancy set of stairs in a house owned by an archetect. The relationships between the two carpenters, and the carpenters and the pain-in-the-butt archetect are priceless. Kidder is great for doing the research behind his stories, and this one's no different: his detailed descriptions of the work itself are pretty authentic.
Tom
I love that book.
I actually know the couple whose house is featured in that book; he's a lawyer. The architect worked for them. The house is down a long drive off the main road, and after the book came out, the family was beseiged with people who would drive up to the house to check it out. The family were good sports about it; they're really pretty friendly. Great book.
small world. Kidder wrote several other books in sort of the same vein. I think I'll look him up again.
Funny story I've been told about Kidder. He was a down and out freelancer back in the early 1980s, more or less living from check to check, and had started publishing articles and a short story or two in the Atlantic. He had written one book, which had gone nowhere. One day he was sitting around the Atlantic offices with his editor, brainstorming ideas for his next article. His editor said, "Why don't you call up my old roommate from college? He works at Data General, and is doing computer stuff. Maybe there's something there." A few years later Kidder published The Soul of a New Machine, which became a huge best-seller and won the Pulitzer Prize. It changed his life: he's been able to write whatever he's wanted to ever since.
Interesting. That's right too- Soul of a new machine i read first, then the rest. Think of all the talent out there that hasn't been lucky enough to get discovered. That's why I love the Web, I can find exactly the kind of music I like, for example, and nowhere else. If it weren't for this site, I'd of made even more woodworking mistakes, and Lord forbid, never would have encountered Lataxe's prose.
Chris,
Both of the Sack books, Fine Points of Furniture, and The New Fine Points of Furniture.
They, especially the earlier one, show several objects of similar appearance, then rate them "good, better, best" and give short explanations of their rating rationale. The newer book's ratings are more like " best, great, masterpiece" and show the sometimes small differences that have a big effect on a piece's overall value.
Ray
I've really found inspiration in "Sam Maloof Woodworker". Not so much because of his furniture (although it is outstanding) but just his attitude about life and his career. It's a good addition to any woodworkers library.
Matt
http://www.oldgreenwoodworking.com
Chris,
You asked a great question. I am not responding with a book but with a website. Hand hewn bowls is a passion of mine, and I believe you have more than a passing interest in it.
Go to
http://www.manytracks.com/Art/Bowls/InProgress/carving_in_progress-cherryburl.htm
and see the bowls of Steve Schmeck. He is without equal in the bowl carving field. He is to bowl carving what Lataxe is to woodworking writers. He is phenomenal. His gallery is intoxicating. AND he shows you how to do it his way.
Have fun.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
http://www.guild.com
Betty Norbury in the UK has written several books profiling outstanding cabinetmakers which are available from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=betty+norbury&tag=googhydr-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=1161754749&ref=pd_sl_2pmhdxdh8l_e
Chris,
I really like Krenov's "With Wakened Hands" which shows off work of his students. Another favorite is "The Custom Furniture Source Book" by Kerry Pierce. It has a very wide variety of work from 125 different craftsmen. If you like Greene and Greene, try "Images of the Gamble House" by Jeanette Thomas. I also like the catalog of Thos. Moser very much.
Tom.
Edited 4/29/2008 9:30 am ET by Tom77
1000 chairs is a great book for all things design and inspiration.
Kaleo
http://www.kaleosworkshop.com
Thanks to all for the great recommendations - keep them coming!. I've been filling up my basket at Amazon. Book can be expensive, but you can't put a price on inspiration!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
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