DAY 6: Look Out Weekend We're Staying In, The Messner Gallery

DAY SIX, unlike god I'm only waiting six days before I rest.   Sort of, I wouldn't expect anything different from this class,  at 8am this morning everyone was in the shop working away.  Well, except for Sybil who was out climbing Mount Battie in Camden State Park, and Phil was in Mass. at a family reunion.  For the most part we didn't work that hard.  

Daniel, Bill. B, and I went to the Lie-Neilsen Showroom in Warren, Maine.  The showroom is a woodworkers wet dream.  Lie-Neilson has been making hand woodworking tools for the past 30 years.  PK, the man who says we don't buy tools we buy took kits, says Lie-Neilsen tools are the closest thing to a tool right out of the box than any other brand.    The Lie-Neilsen philosophy is simple, working with hand tools is satisfying on many levels, especially with the right tool, perfectly prepared to make that precise cut with ease.  Lie-Neilson takes pride in providing that.  LN has a youtube channel with how-to videos and they also have demonstrations and events around the country.

Marie, Francis, and Allen went to Liberty, Maine to check out Liberty Tools, a used tool haven consisting of our floors in a converted house into what Francis called, "a semi organized collection of junk with usable tools interspersed throughout."  Luckily for him he walked in and laid eyes on a darling 1907/09 Stanley Bailey #5 jack plane.  A near holy grail of woodworking tools.  The Stanley Bedrocks are the the real holy grails, but the Baileys are the OG's which allowed the Bedrocks to be.  

I also had a chance to go by the Messler Gallery. On display currently is work by faculty members.  If this gallery was in San Francisco I would definitely stop by.  From what I gather the gallery has 5 exhibitions a year and is home of the weekly slide show.  It is also the only exhibition space in New England dedicated to studio furniture and contemporary wood art.  Here are some pics of the current exhibition running until September 2009.

This is plywood that is carved and stained.

Here's a nice table by Garrett Hack made of Douglas Fir with Rosewood legs, Ebony, White Pine Inlay.  The drawer is great. 

Mixed Media by John Walley called Rotation.  I love it.

California has a little representation.  Jennifer Anderson from San Diego made this table called Pattern Study #1 made of Beech, Milk Paint, and Shellac.

I love looking at this detail.

This technique is called Marquetry/Parquetry.  Marquetry is creating images with veneer, Parquetry is creating geometric and simple shapes and patterns with veneer.  James MacDonald of Maine created this beautiful Madonna  called Blessing

I know, I'm amazed too.

One last piece, here is a graphite on paper drawing titled "The Carpenter" by John Walley of Maine.  

This is only half of the what's in the gallery, if you live in Maine it's definitely worth the stop to see the rest.  All of the art and furniture is for sale, you can contact the school for information about price and purchasing.