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James Lynch
James Lynch of the Shohola Workshop
Being raised in rural New York State among a family of craftsmen and tradesmen it was inevitable that I would work with my hands. My father was a “tube bender”, an unusual trade even in the 1960s. By hand, he crafted the intricately shaped glass tubes for neon signs which are so collectible today.
It took twenty or so years of “traditional woodworking” to convince me that I should be doing something different.
The inspiration for the furniture I’m building now comes from numerous, wildly different sources. While spending time in rural areas of Italy, France, Spain, Thailand and Southern Africa I began to notice the different types of furniture and furnishings that develop in areas where people want traditional “European styles” but need to create them with the materials and tooling at hand. Vintage Adirondack furniture is a perfect example of this.
The use of “rough” stone throughout Europe, bamboo in Asia, natural branches in Africa, America and Spain, all add up to what I’m doing. I love working with the beautiful native woods of Pennsylvania and the opportunity I have to personally and responsibly harvest them. I can’t honestly say I enjoy moving bluestone around by hand, but I get pretty excited checking out each piece and watching what I see as an entire landscape appear in the surface of each stone as I work it.
All that aside I hope you find the work interesting and enjoy the beauty of the natural forms. Thanks for looking.
Being raised in rural New York State among a family of craftsmen and tradesmen it was inevitable that I would work with my hands. My father was a “tube bender”, an unusual trade even in the 1960s. By hand, he crafted the intricately shaped glass tubes for neon signs which are so collectible today.
It took twenty or so years of “traditional woodworking” to convince me that I should be doing something different.
The inspiration for the furniture I’m building now comes from numerous, wildly different sources. While spending time in rural areas of Italy, France, Spain, Thailand and Southern Africa I began to notice the different types of furniture and furnishings that develop in areas where people want traditional “European styles” but need to create them with the materials and tooling at hand. Vintage Adirondack furniture is a perfect example of this.
The use of “rough” stone throughout Europe, bamboo in Asia, natural branches in Africa, America and Spain, all add up to what I’m doing. I love working with the beautiful native woods of Pennsylvania and the opportunity I have to personally and responsibly harvest them. I can’t honestly say I enjoy moving bluestone around by hand, but I get pretty excited checking out each piece and watching what I see as an entire landscape appear in the surface of each stone as I work it.
All that aside I hope you find the work interesting and enjoy the beauty of the natural forms. Thanks for looking.
