The International Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries produced some of the loveliest furniture I have seen. I appreciate its straightforwardness as well as the philosophy which produced it – a rejection of low quality, overly decorated mass-produced goods in favor of simplicity and craftsmanship.
I am particularly drawn to the work of one of the finest modern-day Arts and Crafts makers, Kevin Rodel and, in fact, designed and built this side table under his tutelage during a 2-week course at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. Like Kevin, I like to incorporate influences from Asian architecture into my pieces, and the inspiration for the flaring legs on this piece was Tibetan temples, which are widest at the base. I visited Tibet in 2006.
I donated this piece to the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers for their annual raffle. The Guild had granted me a generous scholarship to attend the 2-week course with Kevin Rodel.
