Phil grew up in California and found his passion for wood early on. "It all began with treehouses! Then, my parents built an addition to our Walnut Creek home and I helped, as a teenager. In high school I studied three years of mechanical and architectural drafting, and I continued my studies in Architecture at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
After college I owned an Antique Shop in Oakland, and by restoring antiques I learned what joinery techniques endured and how authentic furniture weathered with time. My lifelong occupation with wood has included an Eco-forestry business in Oregon, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. I have constructed new houses and barns and did historical restorations of houses and barns. I was proprietor of two galleries in Ashland, Oregon, featuring the fine woodworking of members of the Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild and other local artists. My other wood projects have included bridges, greenhouses, fences and arbors, a jeweler’s bench, weavers warping racks, rocking chairs, tables and bookshelves, altars and framed mirrors.
I love the process of creation. Each piece of wood is different the grain, the shape and its natural singularity will dictate how I use it to produce my one-of-a-kind pieces. I use hand and power tools and native and domestic woods, that I find, salvage, and repurpose. I have cut down trees and milled them into lumber, and then fashioned them into furniture after air drying them for years. I am a self-taught artisan woodcrafter and my process is almost spontaneous, since I do not draw or make calculations before I begin building furniture. Traditional joinery is used exclusively to create heirloom quality furniture and accessories. I have been inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement furniture design, and by Rustic furniture and American Design that utilize distinctive grains and live edges. Honoring the tree’s life through functional art and design is my goal as a builder-maker. I hope you enjoy my work."
Phil accepts commissions.
email: debheatherstone@msn.com
