JoAnn Schuch Woodworking |
About JSW |
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I am a self-taught woodworker, coming from a background in art and sculpture. My first piece of furniture was a Morris chair built in 1986 with measurements taken from an original Stickley chair. Using only a hammer, chisel, and a dovetail saw I learned the basics of traditional furniture joinery, skills I still use today. The strong straight lines of Arts and Crafts style found in that first Morris chair continues to influence my work. Through the years I have added the softly sculpted forms of Greene and Greene, and the Asian Tansu style. My designs, such as the "Running Dog" Audio Cabinet are a culmination of forms I have worked with in the past and my own leaning toward a narrative content. I work directly with individuals or through interior designers, stores and galleries to design my fine furniture. |
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When I am asked to design a piece I first meet with the clients in their homes and discuss the function of the furniture. I can work by phone with clients that live outside of the Northern California area. After making note of critical measurements, I use the ideas of the client to draw two or three designs of the project. When the clients approve the project, I select the lumber for each piece from hundreds of boards to find the most interesting and beautiful wood available. All furniture made by my assistants and myself is built with respect for the natural movement of wood using appropriate joinery such as mortise and tenon and sliding dovetails. These choices assure the piece longevity and are part of the visual and tactile pleasure of the furniture I build. The wood is hand sanded and planed with a cabinet scraper to bring out the richest possible grain.
Stains can obscure the grain, so JoAnn Schuch Woodworking furniture is finished with several coats of clear oil and varnish, hand rubbed with each coat and finally polished with a high quality finishing wax.
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 Detail- A Through Mortise and Tenon Joint |
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How to Contact JoAnn |
