build me a shed

/in /by

shed c/o www.thefreedictionary.com

: to fall off by a natural process

: to take off

: a small structure, freestanding serving as storage or shelter

: a small building for the purpose of recreation and creation (this is my definition)

Sheds, popularised recently on the telly by a bunch of very passionate people on the look-out for the beautiful and the unusual, the unique and the esoteric.  www.channel4.com/programmes/amazing-spaces-shed-of-the-year

And, wow, what a fantastic world of creativity and imagination they have shown us. Categories of sheds, sheds for all kinds of purposes, sheds that mean a lot to the people who build them and have them as a kind of quiet space, a place to be themselves. A shed can really be just what you want it to be.

A shed, for me, has always been a place where i can go about my business, thinking and making, a place of tools, materials, build stuff, trying stuff out and building dreams.

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My current shed is my garage/workshop/empire.  Small, but perfectly formed and stores all of my tools and equipment, my bikes, my adventure gear, work in progress and so much more. I could probably use a much larger one, if I’m honest but that’s a project for another day.  I have other sheds, smaller and more purposeful for storing garden tools and such, but mainly used for storing and seasoning of firewood for my home, a place of sporadic and intense activity…followed by a longer period where nothing much happens but cut wood getting old, and ready to keep me warm.  I  love those sheds the most in the winter.

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Whats in your shed?

 

 

interact

/in /by

When I am making, I work with, and interact with the structure and properties of the timber.

Interact:

:to act on or in close relation with each other

:to act upon one another

I love making, always have done and most likely, always will.  Making answers my need of creativity, my interaction with the world of physical things, if you will.   The magic happens when an idea comes to mind and you see the object unmade and unformed in the mind.

What follows is a process of taking all you know about structure, form, materials and techniques and applying them to the unformed notion of the idea.  Then the idea begins to crystalise and define itself, but still in the imagination, for now.

interact with the timber, look for its strength

traditional construction

Craftspeople take influence from the skills and techniques of generations of makers, for me, using these skills is a fundamental part of my work…but the process really comes alive when i need to acheive something that may not have been done before, or at least I have not seen before. problem solving, improvising or making it up as you go along…call it what you will, this is the part of making that excites me the most.  My making addiction.

the components interact with one another in the final work

detail shot, showing the joint details. Sacred Hearts benches.

Often, these answers and solutions can only be found in the process of making, I love to make and create, its not about the thing that is made, but more about what can be learned along the way…I hope the journey never ends.