Items On Display
Pictures of two displays of my stuff at the Mountain City Traditional Arts Store in Maryland. This store displays artistic endeavors that have some historical link to life in Appalachia, representing the kinds of artistic activities engaged in by the people living in the region. I can't display my carvings there because they are created by a CNC machine--not traditional enough. However, hand carved items can be displayed. Most of these are examples of things I've done with gourds. In the fall of 2011, I found some small white birch logs discarded at the county compost site, I split the logs, drilled some holes, and turned them into candle holders for Christmas that year. Unfortunately, they didn't sell very well.
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About Me
I'm a 70 year old guy, retired in 2007, after 30 years of college teaching. I wanted to a good teacher, certainly better than most of the schmucks who taught me. I did OK but wasn't the "great" teacher I wanted to be. Then health issues forced an early retirement. I had always been interested in woodworking of the carpentry type, which I still do for personal projects. But I also discovered "creative" woodworking of a more artistic kind that I describe below and that's what I've been doing for the past 8 years.
My "Business"
I don't really have a company nor am I really in business. I'm a one-man hobby operation. I just use "The Old Man's Woodshop" on my non-business cards. I do rustic, simple wood projects: walking sticks and canes, small signs (house numbers, welcome, business, etc.), artistic wood carvings (can be hand-painted), small furniture, among other things. I also grow and decorate gourds as bowls, vases, birdhouses, animals, little people, creatures). What I do is not my livelihood and I'm not trying to make a lot of money. Mostly, I just want to make things that will please my customers. So far, so good. People seem pleased with the results of the 5 CustomMade projects I have completed. Similarly, that holds true for other people I done things for, e.g., several small business signs.
(To be continued)
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