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 Click here to read a
review of Robert's work in Woodwork Magazine
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Robert
Beauchamp |
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JURIED
EXHIBITIONS 1986, 1996 Contemporary Crafts Show, Santa Monica. 1987, 1990 A.C.C. Craft Fair in Baltimore. 1987-88, 1990 A.C.C. Craft Fair in Minneapolis. 1989-94, 1996-98 A.C.C. Craft Fair in San Francisco. 1990 A.C.C. Craft Fair in Atlanta. |
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| INVITATIONAL
SHOWS 1989 "The Fine Art Of Woodworking", Highlight Gallery. GALLERIES Highlight Gallery, Mendocino, California Mitsugi Gallery, Berkeley, California Gallery M, Half Moon Bay, California. PHILOSOPHY I have been making furniture for 19 years. My work is usually one of a kind, made for a specific client, with whom I have worked with on the design. I listen to the wants, needs, and desires of my clients and incorporate these into the final design. I encourage them to help me in the design process, either with their sketches or ideas. It is very important to me that my clients are part of the design process, as they are the ones who will be living with the piece the rest of their lives. Involving clients during this portion of the making of a piece of furniture is sometimes a bit difficult, as many people are unsure of their own desires without actually seeing something to reassure their ideas. Trying to get them to throw out ideas, to brainstorm different possibilities, is key to getting them involved. The design process often take several months. I will usually send the clients some rough sketches after our initial meeting. Followed by a few more refined drawings, which take into consideration the changes and ideas that the client has come up with. I may also send a drawing or two that is a bit different from what is expected to show different possibilities. Eventually, we will come up with a drawing which is acceptable to the client and myself. I would not make a piece of furniture if I did not like the design. If need be I will do working drawings of the piece so that both the client and I will have a copy. If questions arise we can each be looking at the drawings when decisions need to be made. My clients have the choice of which wood(s) the piece they are having made will consist of. I use primarily domestic woods, only occasionally using woods which are sustainable harvested imported species. I primarily use California black walnut, cherry, maple and California black oak. I harvest all the walnut that I use and most of the oak. When I say that I harvest these species, I mean that I procure the tree from its owner, I fell the tree, transport it to my shop, mill it into boards, dry it (from 1 to 5 years), and then use it to make furniture. I have been doing urban logging for roughly 18 years. I learned the trade from my mentor, Robert (Bob) Erickson. Initially, from 1982-1993, we did all the milling using a chainsaw mill. Very dirty, very noisy, and very hard work. Bob and I would miil approximately 5 trees per year. At that rate, I was able to collect a nice stack of lumber, as I was not producing that many pieces of furniture each year. In the early years of milling I would take out most any tree which came my way. Now, however, I am much more selective. I try to confine my tree removal to dead or diseased trees, occasionally removing a healthy tree, if I am unable to persuade the owner to let the tree stand. I would much rather see a nice tree left alive than felled for some silly reason such as it drops too many leaves, or it is getting too big. I have been able to talk a fair number of people into leaving theirs trees alone, even though I know that I will be missing out on a good amount of very nice lumber. I figure that it will all come back around at sometime. Maybe when the tree dies I will get a call from the owner asking me to remove it then. That would be nice. I harvest more trees per year now, many 8-12 each year, than I used to. This is due mostly to the fact that I have been doing it a long time and am somewhat known in the Davis/Sacramento area for logging useful trees. I, also, have a tree trimmer friend, Terry Wenner, who passes on to me trees he has removed which are big enough to be milled. I find a lot of trees through looking. I am always on the look out for dead trees or ones that have been felled. I will find out who owns the tree and try to work out an arrangement with them for the saw log. Sometimes I will remove the tree in exchange for the portion I am interested in. Sometimes people stop by my shop to offer me a tree. Sometimes I will receive a telephone call telling me of a tree which is being removed. Nowadays trees seem to come my way from many different sources, and I am most always willing to take a look and see if there is a possibility of making a dying tree into some beautiful lumber. I have changed the milling process from my chainsaw mill days. We used to mill on site. Now, with the help of a friend, Kempton Clark, and a piece of farm equipment, called a carryall, I am able to transport the logs to my shop, where I can stack them and wait until I have enough to mill for a week or so. The chainsaw mill does not get much use as I now hire someone with a Woodmiser Mill. A portable band mill which is brought to my shop. I will procure enough logs to keep the Woodmiser busy for 5-8 days. We can cut approximately 1000 board feet per day. The use of a farmer friend's (Frank Sieferman) forklift helps to speed up the process enormously. I try to do my milling in the early fall. By doing this, I am allowing the new lumber to go through an initial slow drying process. If the lumber dries too quickly a myriad of problem can arise, from checking and cell collapse to case hardening and water pockets. I have been using a Woodmiser mill for the past 5 years and have been very happy with the results. The Woodmiser can produce board as wide as 24", and I cut a fair few that big, though the majority of the boards I cut are in the 16" to 21" range. Using the Woodmiser has enabled me to spend less time cutting lumber which at the same time allowing me to produce more. I now have a large enough supply of black walnut that I am able to sell a bit of the extra. The difficult job now is deciding which boards to use. Getting back to the furniture end of my business. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with fantastic clients. People who have come to me with wonderful ideas and hopes. And together we have built some extraordinary furniture. A tamboured sided and backed couch and a dining set for Michael Zolezzi, an armoire for David Stephens, a desk and entertainment center for Lynne Hyman and Caird Forbes-Cockell, a charmoire (a large free standing jewelry (charm) cabinet (armoire)) for my mother, a desk for Terry Kem and Julie Papavero. All these one of a kind projects were challenging to design, engineer, and execute. Along with most of the pieces I make these pieces to keep the fire and joy of making furniture alive in me continually. I never have a bad day at work because it is too enjoyable. Along with backpacking, fly fishing, soccer, adventure racing, mountain or road biking, and all the other activities that I do and enjoy, woodworking makes my life exciting, very busy, and wonderful. In 1997 I was able to go to Australia for two and a half months. I met a lot of woodworkers, built a couple projects for friends there and was able to become familiar with Australian woods. I do not know too many other professions which would allow one to leave for such an extended time. Though I put in a lot of extra time at my shop I have not lost site of the desire to enjoy life. Work hard, play hard, and enjoy both. It seems as though I work 50 weeks a year, and vacation 20. Not too bad if you can figure out how to do it. |
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