Craig Collins discusses his work 1 My aesthetic is going toward cleaner and cleaner designs, relying on proportion and detail rather than ornamentation. 2 I think there’s something special about the interaction between a client and the makers. Many of our clients have become friends and people I stay in touch with…I’m doing an urn right now for a client whose husband passed away…I feel really honored. 2 On working with wood: My favorite wood is probably American black cherry. It’s a good cabinet maker’s wood, beautiful, strong and nice to work with. Its home grown, mostly sourced from Pennsylvania. It also ages well, taking on a deep, rich patina with time. Recently, I have built a number of tables from large slabs of local woods: claro walnut, elm and bay laurel. This presents new challenges because of the tiny scale in which these woods are harvested and processed. I receive the wood in large slab form, and process it into usable lumber from which I can craft a table. It creates an even tighter link from the tree to the dining room. I’ve worked a lot with both solid wood and veneer. They both have their place. With veneers, which are thin pieces of solid wood, you have all sorts of design possibilities. You can have large surfaces with a consistent look or you can alter the grain direction and create simple to intricate patterns. On designing tables: Tables are so diverse and sculptural. They can range from whimsical and fun to formal and elegant. On green design: Wood is a renewable resource and the Forestry Stewardship Council is making great strides to insure it is used as such. With good management, we should have good wood to work forever. For me, another part of considering environmental or green issues is to keep transportation costs within a reasonable realm. I try to use a lot of local woods.
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