This piece represents Phase 2 of a chair making educational project supported by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This phase involved applying what I learned making "Vidar’s Chair" by independently designing and making this original chair. Primary influencers were "Vidar's Chair", as well as other Scandinavian designs of the modern era, and by extension, all that influenced them. In my study, I found that no one chair can do it all. Each is designed for a purpose. So for this project, I focused on designing an armchair to be used for “active upright sitting”, and specifically not for lounging or relaxation. While the aesthetic of this chair points to simplicity, the making of it required me to train an especially fine eye on the shaping of the parts and to carefully fit the joinery to ensure that its physical strength properly supported its delicately refined aesthetic.

Locally grown black walnut and Danish cord

Oil and resin blend

18 1/4" deep x 22" wide x 28 1/8" tall

This piece was awarded "Best-in-Show" at the 2013 Northern Woods Exhibition in Eden Prairie, MN. It is currently on display at Old School Arts Center in Sandstone, Minnesota. 

Craig Johnson is a fiscal year 2012 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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This commissioned piece arose out of the client's desire for a desk made by a local artisan, an appreciation for the natural-edge work of George Nakashima, and the flexibility to take the idea in a slightly different direction. All the wood for this piece came from a single Nebraska tree which had likely been planted as part of the "Shelterbelt Project" by Works Progress Administration or Civilian Conservation Corps workers during the Great Depression of the 1930s. This quest to control the drought-stricken prairie exemplified our ongoing struggle to find a balance between allowing nature to be what it is, and controlling it to suit our needs.

I sought to capture this spirit by juxtaposing the natural flaws and flowing grain lines in the wood with the circular arcs and straight lines of the more refined surfaces and edges. The strength of the rigid geometry in the stand with its concave and convex ends finds itself yielding to the naturally tapering lines of grain in the book matched black walnut planks.

Here you may read what the client has to say about the making of this piece.

Black walnut and shop made brass brackets

Oil and resin blend

66" long x 42" wide x 31" tall

SOLD. This piece currently resides with a Minnesota collector.

This piece represents Phase 1 of a chair making educational project supported by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This phase involved making this chair while attending Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking. It is a reproduction of a 1970 design by Vidar Malmsten, a furniture maker and friend of James Krenov, the internationally renowned furniture maker and educator. Many woodworking students who have studied the ways of James Krenov have learned chair making with this chair. It demands a lot from each student with its sophisticated use of grain graphics, finely sculpted parts, and joinery that reveal increasing complexity with each successive joint, from simple 90 degree live mortise and tenon, to floating mortise and tenon compound angled joinery on the curve.

For an in-depth look into the making of this piece, please check out my blog posts covering my entire chair making journey. ― Craig

Ash and fiber rush

Oil and resin blend; shellac on fiber rush seat

21" deep x 21 1/4" wide x 32 5/8" tall

Currently on display at Old School Arts Center in Sandstone, Minnesota 

Craig Johnson is a fiscal year 2012 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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This simple bench was designed to showcase the handwoven upholstery specially made to be included in the Weavers Guild of Minnesota's 75th Anniversary book, entitled A Thread Through Time, featuring new interpretations of old weaving drafts found in the Guild's archives. The pattern of squares seen in the upholstery is adapted from a 15-shaft damask pattern for a linen table runner by Mary Skoy. It has been interpreted and handwoven on an AVL 16 shaft mechanical dobby loom by Carol.

Locally harvested Red Elm and shop made brass brackets. Handwoven cotton upholstery by Carol

Shellac and beeswax polish

17" deep x 46" wide x 19" tall

Available for purchase, this piece is currently on display at Xylos.

This piece is a new take on an old invention. In 1810, Thomas Jefferson designed a revolving book stand that was made in the joinery at Monticello, Jefferson's plantation near Charlottesville, Virginia. It is currently on display in the Cabinet Room of the house. The book stand was designed to support as many as five open books for reading and research. At the center is a pivoting mechanism that allows the unit to be rotated 360°. Here are a few interesting views of the original from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation website:

• Photo and description
• Quicktime movie of the Cabinet Room, home of the book stand
• Quicktime movie of the book stand

A sapling in the early 1500s, the 330+ year old yellow birch used in this book stand was recently reclaimed from the watery depths where it sank after being logged over 150 years ago. The grayish discolorations, seen mainly in the top checkerboard panel, are evidence of the tree's long, submerged history. I've relished the opportunity to do several projects using these same planks of yellow birch, but the opportunity to connect this old growth wood with the historic Jefferson book stand has been especially rewarding. For a deeper look into the making of this piece, please check out the blog.

Deceptively complex, but enjoyable to make, this piece features shop sawn veneers and parquetry. The local bird's eye maple parquetry on the side panels has been laid out in what is termed a four-way center and butt veneer match. The top panels take advantage of the light colors of the yellow birch plank's sapwood, while the remainder of the piece uses the darker tones of the heartwood. The legs and horizontal stretchers in the stand are of yellow birch heartwood and include floating mortise and tenon joinery. The main platform has been attached to the stand using shop made brass brackets.

Here you may read what the client has to say about the making of this piece.

Yellow birch, bird’s eye maple and brass

Shellac and beeswax polish

13 1/2" deep x 13 1/2" wide x 16" tall; panels closed
32 5/8" deep x 32 5/8" wide x 25 1/2" tall; panels fully opened

SOLD. This piece currently resides with a Minnesota collector.

A sapling in the early 1500s, the 330+ year old yellow birch used in this entry hall mirror was recently reclaimed from the watery depths where it sank after being logged over 150 years ago. The grayish and subtle golden discolorations are evidence of the tree's long, submerged history. It was an honor to work with this beautiful reclaimed old-growth wood.

Made of solid wood, this piece features open mortise and tenon corner joints in the mirror frame, doweled cabinet joinery, frame and panel cabinet backs, hand-cut dovetail drawers, and shop-made brass knife hinges and wall hangers. In our very first furniture collaboration, the mirror backing was designed and handwoven by Carol.

Yellow birch, kwila, maple, bird’s eye maple and brass

Beeswax polish on yellow birch; shellac and beeswax polish on kwila, bird's eye maple panels and interior of drawers

5 3/4" deep x 31 3/8" wide x 29 1/2" tall

Available for purchase, this piece is currently on display at Xylos.

Read what others are saying about this piece.

The yellow birch used in this box was recently reclaimed from the watery depths where it sank after being logged over 150 years ago. Images of water and sky created by the contrasting colors of the heartwood and sapwood on the sides of this hand-cut dovetailed box are reminders of the tree's long history. Adjacent sections of the plank were used for the sides and the lid frame, allowing the color and grain lines to wrap up and onto the top of the box. The hand-carved recessed pull and the softened edges throughout the piece are designed to be gentle to the touch.

Yellow birch and bird’s eye maple

Shellac and beeswax polish

7" deep x 11" wide x 4" tall

Available for purchase. Please contact us for more information.

Hand-cut dovetails are featured in this diminutive piece. The thin sides and bottom are made from 3/16" stock.

Kwila and big leaf maple

Shellac and beeswax polish

2 1/8" deep x 2 1/8" wide x 4" tall

SOLD. Commissions for similar pieces are welcome.

The rich colors of kwila and makore give this sideboard a quiet yet commanding presence. The veneers were carefully sawn from planks and arranged to provide a unique sense of refinement for the piece. The beveled kwila parquetry, inspired by Mama's quilts, elevates the winged kwila top and dances across the top edges of the gently curved doors. Opening the doors reveals a generous storage area that includes two adjustable shelves with hand-shaped support pegs and three hand-cut dovetailed drawers.

Kwila, makore, Port Orford cedar, kauri, bigleaf maple and shop-made brass hardware

Shellac and beeswax polish

18 5/8" deep x 39 1/4" wide x 39 5/8" tall

Available for purchase, this piece is currently on display at Xylos.

Hear what the judges said about this piece at the Northern Woods Exhibition.

The wonderful, serene quality of the arbutus in this solid wood cabinet is gently punctuated by the square medallions of brown doussie cascading downward between the book matched apple panels of the cabinet door. Similar geometry is reflected in the back panel, hand cut dovetailed drawers, and the hand carved drawer pulls and adjustable shelf consoles. Every joint and surface has been faithfully cared for by the maker. Wall cabinets of any shape and size offer a delightful way to contain or display most anything important in your life.

Arbutus, apple, curly maple, brown doussie and shop-made brass hinges and wall hangers

Shellac and beeswax polish

5 3/8" deep x 8 1/4" wide x 18 1/2" tall

Available for purchase. Please contact us for more information.

Read and hear what others are saying about this piece.