If you haven’t yet seen Peter Follansbee’s latest post about the wrap-up class for the five month long joined chest build, you should check it out here. It’s full of inspiring and beautiful work from all his students. His anecdotes and casual writing tone are simply wonderful – it’s exactly what we worked so hard to preserve in the editing of Issue Two. His article titled “Everybody Who Knows Why is Dead” has generated a great response from readers. People loved hearing the veteran craftsman/scholar reflect on the years of unfounded scholarly opinions. It was a favorite in Issue Two.
I’m not sure if you’ve recognized this but Peter’s work and teaching is courageous in this day and age. To be unabashedly working to period tolerances in today’s machinist-precision woodworking culture takes a firm resolve and unshakable confidence. Have you seen Peter’s work in person? The first time I did, it blew my mind. His furniture has a folk authenticity that is polar opposite to the “studio furniture” aesthetic we see all around us. Peter has influenced me more than any other maker I’ve known and I hope you acquaint yourself well with his work.
His blog is one you should definitely keep on your radar. I so enjoyed the shop build updates last year. It’s great to see Peter get his own space after all those years at Plimoth Plantation. And now that it’s finished, he’s taking gorgeous photos like the ones in this post.