The refined offering

I'm refining the offering. Look it over and think of how and where to place it. Call if you like, the number is below. Thanks

Furniture and Sculpture Workshop

Intensive One-on-One Lessons taught by Dick Hedgepeth, an experienced Artist/ Designer/ Furniture Maker/ Sculptor

Sessions planned around your schedule.

Check photo site to see if some of my work jells with your interests - http://picasaweb.google.com/hedge78704/Furniture#

Fabrication skills – Traditional and Contemporary Woodworking, Lightweight Metalwork and Metalsmithing, Finishes. I have extensive experience in most one-off processes and materials and if I haven’t actually done something, then we’ll figure it out. (Jumping into a project and not knowing exactly how it’s going to happen is the real fun. And we don’t come up with one solution and go but we find two, three or ten ways and then decide which is best for us.)

The workshop is located near downtown. It is not air-conditioned; I work with the doors open. Sessions can be scheduled most times except Thursday evenings. During the heat, weekend mornings are best. I live nearby.

I will also offer advice on setting up a home workshop, finding quality materials and a range of outside services.

Application interviews (it cuts both ways) scheduled by phone – 512 – 294 – 1812

Fees

$150/hour at my workshop. A minimum of 5 hours/month will be required once a project is underway.

Storage space is limited and expensive but available.

Resumé

Dick Hedgepeth, 1952 to present

1976 – BFA, Virginia Commonwealth University, Crafts - Furniture Design

1976 to present – Furniture designer and artist, furniture construction, consultant.

1976-1982 – Independent architectural design and construction. “A young buck in cutoffs and a pick-up truck”, Maintained a furniture and boatbuilding workshop, Houston and Galveston.

1982-1988 – Furniture and architectural design and construction, Austin, TX

1988-1992 – Designer and consultant in Washington, DC. Mostly restaurant, retail and millwork design services. Secretly maintained a workshop in Stephens City, VA where I produced studio furniture for a couple of galleries in New York City.

1992-2004± - Returned to Texas, started art studio/workshop. Art Direction for television and film.

2004 to present – Had a bad wreak. Concentrating solely on my own furniture designs and art.

Initial feedback

I’ve had a lot of feedback, Great! All positive, of course.

The main thing is to define to myself what it is that I want from all this. Aside from the obvious, cash, I expect to learn as much from my student (for lack of a better word at this time) as they do.

I’d like to stay away from too many rules and at this point.

- I’d like to avoid some personalities.

- I would like to facilitate curiosity and receptiveness.

apprentice

noun

she worked with the great violin maker as his apprentice trainee, learner, probationer, novice, beginner, starter, cadet, tenderfoot; pupil, student; informal rookie, newbie, greenhorn.

I’ll post a short resume on a separate entry.

Go teach young man!

I’m going to try to start a new and maybe interesting project.

“I can talk one person out of $50,000, I can’t talk 50 people out of a dollar.”

I’ve said that for a long time. It sounds cynical but it’s not. I work well with one person at a time.

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I’ve been told to teach. OK. Why? First, physically I’m shot. Back problems mostly. Second, I have a lot of information in this little head and that still works just fine. Third, I have a great workshop with just the right amount of tooling to accomplish what I want. And I have the resources to make almost anything. And, oh yeah, I’m an excellent designer which is really the most important reason to teach.

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I’d like to take on a few students for one-on-one lessons. A similar model might be musical instruction.

I can imagine the perfect student but the more I try to put it down, the more it sounds like BS, so I’ll avoid that for now.

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Example of fee structure.

$65/ hr – instruction and shop use.

The shop is not available for rental use only

A 10-hour per month minimum.

A small personal storage area - $65/month minimum (if required)

Most projects require extensive repetitive work like sanding, shaping and grinding. Most finishes require sporadic timing. It would be best to take your project with you. Also, the best solutions don’t just happen. Taking the time to mull over everything while doing other things is important.

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Syllabus? I not sure one is needed. I envision someone with a head full of ideas and some basic knowledge and a will to learn.

Start with a concept and go from there. I’ll try to keep the initial project clean and lean. I want you to finish the first project.

A good 1^st project may be a coffee table. Solid hardwood.

Design

Materials

Selection of the wood, the plusses and minuses, color, levels of quality, how to find it, how to talk to the dealer, how to pick it (on and on) and how to get it home.

Layout, rough cut

Milling

Jointery

Finishing

Critique

Start the next project, you all ready have it figured out.

More later, Hedge

Where you been boy?

Hey Kids,

Kinna lost track this, oh well. Haven't been just sitting around, I guess.

First thing, I spent about 6 - 7 weeks rehabbing an old place to move to. 500 sq' of fun. The biggest project was the bathroom. Expanded, almost total redo.

The other main project was redoing all the services. Water, electric, HVAC, hot water.

The rest was clean and paint with a little whack and hack here and there.

I ran out of time and, against all the preaching I've done on the subject, I moved in. Then it got hot, then I got sort of sick, well, more like exhausted. Moved too many boxes of old family crap in and got into a funk. Slowly culling stuff and its getting better. My little pea-brain has that 500' well planned WITHOUT all the extra crap.

The place is really nice. Down the hill, in the woods, behind Jane's house. Shotgun style, entry Kitchen, living, bed and bath. Lots of glass on both sides. Closets on either end and storage throughout.

I still have some major projects for the fall. Two exterior doors, replace a few windows, carpet, then clean up the exterior. Dirt work and gardens this winter. And, as I like it, more projects.

Looking forward to it. I'm also planning a road trip in the new Nissan. Headed east for a couple of weeks.

OK Hedge