Here is a photo of the new rodback rocker with it's armchair cousin. There are a few differences that rockers require such as a shallower seat and different leg angles. This rocker is a chair that I have wanted to build for some time. It will be on display at the Peters Valley Craft Center for the month of May and then available for sale at the Penland School of Crafts benefit auction in August. I will post some studio photos of it next week. My exploration of the rodback form is keeping my interest and I hope to find the time to continue its development. On another note, I spoke with Nick at the TImbersmith this afternoon. Nick supplies my pine seats and has a great stock of seat blanks available. I have had a lot of students from out west who don't have access to white pine and it's raised my awareness of the resources that I take for granted. You can reach Nick at ncicc@juno.com or (315)328-5381. I have had great experiences personally with Nick and am happy to spread the word about his stock. He is also exploring selling riven spindle and bending stock, so for all of you who aren't willing to move to my neck of the woods, give him a call and get to work!
I find your rodbacks very inspiring! They truly are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt would appear, from my photo viewing, that there is no pommel in the seat. Is that correct? Thanks for a great insight into making chairs.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct that there is no pommel on the seat. One of the great reasons to paint chairs, besides the unifying aspect is that it draws the attention to the shape more than the grain pattern in the wood. In making a chair with a butternut seat, which has such dramatic graining, I try to tone down the shape so as not to distract from the pattern. I think that the combination of complex shaping and complex graining is a bit distracting and may detract. For a chair to be visually successful, I want it to be seen as a whole, keeping the eye moving with no single part drawing too much attention. Just an opinion.
ReplyDelete