Lou Quallenberg, master mesquite whisperer

Tauni Powers

Mesquite Partners Desk by Lou Quallenberg

Lou’s mesquite furniture is absolutely gorgeous. We saw it for the first time at last year’s conference. He supports the twisted, highly figured Texas mesquite table and bench tops, with sinuous trestles and legs. The overall effect is something I would classify as Contemporary Organic, like Tim’s furniture.

Either Tim’s or Lou’s furniture would fit beautifully in a contemporary city loft or a Rocky Mountain lodge-style home. Their pieces easily compliment modern or traditional decor and furniture of steel, chrome, antler or leather.

Check out Lou’s website and gorgeous gallery created by his wife Cheryl. She’s as much behind his creative momentum as Lou is himself.

– more later on the conference as we head home tonight… Maureen

Tim's "The Yellowstone" table and Walnut Desk with Chair

We are meeting lots of customers and really hoping someone will make a connection with one of Tim’s woodworking pieces and decide to take it home with them. We’d both really like not to have to take his “The Yellowstone” table and “Forest Muse,” the beautiful walnut desk home with us, no matter how much I’d like them in our own living room.

Here are the three pieces Tim entered into the juried part of the Western Design Conference exhibit.

The Yellowstone: Curly Mango, Lacewood, Padauk and Mahogany

"Forest Muse" Desk and Chair of Walnut

Right next to Tim’s pieces, Les and Tauni Powers, of Nature’s Forms, have an elegant booth with outrageous sculptural pieces by Les. My favorite reminds me of the wind dancing through the sandstone canyons at Zion, where we go with our shamanic study group every spring. Turns out, when I mentioned that connection to Les, he told me it is inspired directly by Red Canyon in Bryce, very close to where we go with our group.

Red Canyon by Les Powers

I’ll post about Lou Quallenberg’s incredible mesquite table tomorrow. For now, here’s a shot of Lou and 3 friends all woodworkers, and links to their websites. Check ‘em out:

• Jerry Van Vleet
• Lou Quallenberg
• John Gallis
• Mike Roths

James Krenov 1920 - 2009

I am saddened to hear of the passing of one my inspirations, James Krenov.  He died yesterday at the age of 89.

Krenov founded the College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture. Here’s a Fine Woodworking Magazine photo slideshow of work by Jim.

Lou creates exquisite tables, benches and desks from large slabs of mesquite that might otherwise be doomed to the barbecue pits of Texas.

Cheryl is an artist and graphic designer in her own right, creating colorful impressionist watercolours and promoting Lou’s woodworking with her clean, elegant graphic design.

I only got a hint of the many excellent stories these two have to share … I hope we see them at next year’s WDC — even better, maybe they’ll show up in Helena for a relaxed visit.
(lou-and-cheryl: hint, hint) – Maureen

p.s. check out Lou’s furniture at Lou Quallenberg Studios

Tired, yes … but good-tired. Just moments after we finished loading the truck and saying goodbye to the many wonderful folks we met at WDC, I snapped this shot our hotel:

Later in the week, I will post more about the conference: photos and observations of the conference as a whole, as well as some I snapped of some of the new friends we met here in Jackson, Wyoming. More than anything else, I appreciated meeting some of the amazing artists and craftspeople in the west. Check back in a couple of days when Tim and I have a chance to decompress and maybe I’ll have a photo of you and your artwork here on ShopTalk. — Maureen