Design notebook: Rustic furnishings are winsome & whimsical

Tag : Dried Abalone

The next time you chuck an armful of branches into your fire pit,pause and consider that Atascadero woodworker Andy Needles mightuse that firewood as the beginning of a work of art or table orchair.
Ten years ago, Needles, who was a woodworking hobbyist at the time,lamented that local woods such as madrone, eucalyptus, manzanitaand California sycamore were being tossed into the chipper, used asfirewood, or worse — disposed of as garbage. Recognizing thepotential in these under-appreciated species, he resolved to turnthem into striking pieces of freeform furniture. The result is hisbusiness, Dover Canyon Rustic Furniture.
Needles only uses wood from within San Luis Obispo County,reclaiming his materials from trees that have been removed orfallen, or branches that have been pruned. For example, numerouswalnut slabs have found their way into his shop as walnut orchardsin the North County have given way to vineyards.
After curing for a year or more, those walnut slabs are turned intobench seats, tabletops, platters and bowls. Freeform slices ofmanzanita become seat backs. Craggy madrone and manzanita branchesare used as table or chair legs.
Needles begins with sketches, but improvises as he goes.“Much of your final design is dictated by the shape andcharacter of the wood you have,” he said.
This means that instead of carving and cutting wood to conform tohis design, each piece plays up the natural form and contours ofthe wood. The look is rustic, winsome and often whimsical.
Even when there is a flaw—a crack, split or void—heworks with it to make the piece ever more special. Afterstabilizing the split, he will fill it with accents includingabalone, jadeite from Big Sur, soapstone, fossils or chrysocolla (ablue-green mineral). “I actually look for split material, asit allows one to add these elements to a piece of wood that wouldnot be useable otherwise,” he said.
Needles completes each piece with an oil-based finish to accentuatethe grain of the wood, then a clear, water-based topcoat.
Furniture made from slabs and branches may seem too fragile foreveryday use, but Needles insists his creations are quite sturdy.He uses mortise and tenon joinery, with hidden pins and screws tosupport the natural strength of the wood.
Needles is only a part-time woodworker; his day job is working withspecial needs children for the county Office of Education. Still,he manages to turn out about 20 pieces each year —every oneunique. His work is on display at Lone Madrone Winery in PasoRobles and the Shadow Canyon Cellars in San Luis Obispo.
For more details about Dover Canyon Rustic Furniture contact AndyNeedles at 462-9886, via e-mail at andyneedles@charter.net or byvisiting his Web site at www.dovercanyonrustic.com