Design ideas are everywhere, but you
have to look at them not as a woodworker who wants to figure out how to
build each one, but rather as a palette of shapes and forms that are
pleasing to your eye. When I look for design ideas, I make
extensive use of the Internet, particularly Google and Google
Images. If I query google with something like: “ greene and
greene entertainment center” it will return numerous sites trying to
sell furniture over the Internet. Most have images I can click on
to get a larger image, and when I find something I like, it is very
easy to save that image to my computer. I catalog these images on
my Mac using a program called MacJournal. After a few sessions
online, I can easily accumulate 20 or 30 design ideas. I also try
to capture the dimensions from the web site since that could be helpful
later if I attempt to design my own piece loosely based on a particular
image.
For me, the design process is a personal journey into depths of my
mind! Each new design represents a personal committment that
requires that I invest in myself, and test the limits of how well I
trust myself. I wanted this piece to be exceptional - my magnum
opus! I wanted to do a piece that incorporated virtually
everything I've learned after over 40 years in the craft. I'm not
completely satisfied with the outcome, but I'm also my own worse
critic!
Follow along with me on my journey to build this piece. I
describe my personal design process with the hope that I might inspire
you to try your own hand at designing a piece of your own. I'll
talk about working with veneer, building the carcase, making the ebony
accents, installing the knife hinges, and making the stained glass
panels. I've covered the marquetry techniques I use elsewhere in
this website so I won't repeat it here except to say that every time I
incorporate marquetry into my work, I get just a little better at it,
and can't wait for the next project when I can try something just a bit
harder.
Enjoy!
