Week 2, New x 2

During Echo Lake we were generously given an invitation by Mark Sfirri to visit his studio in New Hope, PA and join him on a visit to the Rago Auction house in Lambertville, New Jersey.

Rago was about to hold an auction of decorative arts and within their collection were pieces by major figures in the history of fine craft. For example, we saw this large desk/table by George Nakashima.

We also saw this amazing bench by Judy McKie. I love its hefty size and stylized features. The visit to Rago was a real treat because we were able to touch and sit upon the furniture. This intimate encounter with the artwork was a rare opportunity and a great learning experience. We also saw and fondled work by: Wendell Castle, Wharton Esherick, Alexander Calder and many Danish modern furniture masters.
We also were able to visit Mark's home and studio in New Hope, PA. Mark's home is a very old farmhouse which is quite lovely and charming. Mark has two beautiful Abisinian cats who were quite social.
Mark is very well known for his off-centered turning. Here he is showing us one of his off-centered split turnings. It's amazing what he has been able to create with this technique. I am anxious to try some off-centered turning myself and I find his work very inspiring.
Here Mark is showing us a sample corner of a large bench he made. I was impressed by how he cleverly uses a mirror to reflect the bench half so that it appears as whole. If I recall correctly, this was done to show a client his idea before committing to creating the bench in its entirety. Clever.
After visiting Mark's studio, home and the Rago Auction house we also visited the Nakashima Studio compound in Pennsylvania. Miriam Carpenter graciously provided us an insightful and educational tour of the grounds and facilities. I can't share photos of the experience with you but you can see how beautiful Nakashima's work is in the first photo of this post, which was taken at Rago. We were able to see the gargantuan supply of wood, from which Nakashima's designs are still produced. The slabs of wood are spectacularly beautiful and impressively sized.

Thank you very much to both Mark and Miriam for a wonderful "New" day and experience.