Last fall, my friend Pat McFadden and I ginned up her home workshop to make wooden games to sell at Artclectic at University School of Nashville. Over the course of the year, Pat has ridden that creative momentum to make several pieces of beautiful outdoor furniture, including two custom garden benches and my beloved Chippendale … Continue reading Swing Time Special
I took a break from constructing my garden gate to attend the annual home studio sale of ceramicist Christina Cohn. Christina started making plates, mugs, planters and jewelry a few years ago, using a kiln in her basement. It has been a delight to watch her work mature and to see her confidence grow along … Continue reading My Favorite Mistakes
Being twice as old as as some of my construction school classmates, I miss a lot of their cultural references. Anything short of fluency in the complete Will Ferrell filmography is a great handicap when dealing with young men, I have discovered. Likewise, a lot of what I say to "the kids" slips through the … Continue reading Men, Women & The Karate Kid
Today, as I walked through the workshop at Tennessee College of Applied Technology, I saw evidence of a swarm of carpenter bees drilling holes in our lumber. Though they may be a nuisance, carpenter bees are dazzling in their precision. It looked like they had drilled a cribbage board in a 2x4. But then I discovered … Continue reading New Guy Joining in Construction Class
Betsy Hoffman radiates joy in her teaching and in her artwork. The former is on display in the first-grade classroom at USN, the latter at Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital, USN's Hassenfeld Library, and in houses and businesses across Nashville, on everything from canvases to pianos. A veteran of the American Artisan Craft Fair, Artclectic, and … Continue reading Popclectic Spotlight: Betsy Hoffman’s ALPHABETSY
One of my favorite annual events, Artclectic at University School of Nashville, is coming up, October 19-21. In recent years, there's been a new feature of the weekend, Popclectic, a pop-up market of artisans and craftspeople. Popclectic is a highlight of Artclectic for families with young kids. I have found irresistible and zany treasures—including a … Continue reading Buttercup Joins Popclectic Market at Artclectic, Oct. 21
Build Me Up, Buttercup 