Stewardship and Craftsmanship Honored

The winners of the prestigious 1998 national CollinsWood Awards for fine furniture craftsmanship and wood design using FSC certified CollinsWood were announced recently at the headquarters of The Collins Cos. in Portland, OR. Wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) provides consumers with an assurance that the products they buy come from forests managed in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. The award winning designs exemplify this synergy between stewardship and craftsmanship.

• In the “Home Furnishings Over $300” category, Gary Weeks & Co. Furniture makers of Wimberley, TX, won with an exquisitely designed and crafted rocker built from Kane Harwood black cherry. Weeks commented that he has “worked in the woods and sawmills of East Texas and has been interested in sustainable forestry for some time.” His rocking chairs are handbuilt in his shop where his crew of four builds rockers, dining chairs, and tables.

• In the “Home Furnishings Under $300” category, the winner was Robin Tedeschi of The Joinery in Portland, OR. His handsome bench entitled “Robin’s Perch” also made with black cherry from the FSC certified Collins Pennsylvania Forest.”When I designed the bench, I was thinking of simplicity of lines, ease of construction and making it useful in a variety of settings. The tapered seat is really comfortable and the leg design is curved out slightly to give it a softer look.”

• Margaret Puckette of Corvallis, OR, won for her Children’s Furniture design, “A Tower of Shelves.” Puckett fabricated the tower entirely from pine mill by-products pulled randomly from the scrap conveyor of certified Collins Pine Sawmill in Chester, CA. She used short pieces and small scraps with defects such as blue strain, knots, cracks, and wane. “I wanted to demonstrate three concepts with my entry. One, that thoughtful design could add considerable value material. Two, that certified wood producers could use scrap material for high value wood products. And three, that you can augment the goal for promoting forest ecosystem health by using the whole tree.