On-Site Guest

While working on a walking staff, one of the carvers had a guest. This three year old black bear munched on hazelnuts that had fallen from a tree, while the human whittled. Both more or less ignored each other. (The photographer was a little more nervous, so the pictures are a bit blurry.)

The bear eventually wandered off into the meadow and the carver wandered back to the woodshop. Bears are more frequent at the end of the season. We let them do their own thing and they don’t disturb us. It’s a relaxed work setting for all parties concerned.

Knight’s Shield

This is an original design for a patron who requested a knight’s shield to display. It is fully functional defensive armor for various axe, sword or arrow affronts.

The ‘Knight of Sword and Cross Shield’ was created in spruce. The frame was cut and glued, then a design was sketched. Next the design components were chiseled and sanded. Then the shield was stained in Prairie Bench Storybook and finished in polyurethane. The rivets or ‘clavos’ were fired from bolts and the heads were ground. These are to dull the opponents’ blade in battle. A handle was fired and bolted to the back. Finally, the shield is branded and hand numbered.

Designed in spruce. 32″ tall. Finished in Prairie Bench Storybook. #17-03-11-BL

 

Storyteller Chair

The Storyteller Chair is an original, whimsical design from Prairie Bench. The chair frame is constructed of reclaimed fir timbers, while the seat and back are from a hundred and fifty year old Sitka Spruce salvaged from the Fraser River by Port Coquitlam tug operator and avid reader, Norbert Kaysser. Styled by artist and writer B. Lewis to accent the grain and tone, it’s the wood that chose the unique shape. The wide arms and frame invite an audience and focus attention on the storyteller. The seat and back have a fun lop-sided appeal reminiscent of Dr. Seuss or Alice in Wonderland. As a Prairie Bench design, lots of consideration and affirmation were incorporated into the construction: grain energy and direction emanate from the storyteller; scribed notes for imagination, wonder, vision and understanding are sealed in the workmanship. The Storyteller Chair is ergonomic and comfortable with a hand carved seat, smooth lines, and interesting scrapes and knot holes that might appear after centuries of dragons, forest creatures, and adventure. Now it’s time to settle into a tale and add your history to the chair.

The Storyteller Chair is a one of kind original from Prairie Bench, signed and numbered by the designer and finished in rosewood oil so you’ll always touch the wood.

 

 

Storyteller Chair: letting the finish cure naturally.

 

33-BL-11-11 Sold.
48″h x 42″w x 30″d – approximate dimensions