81st American Crafts & Historic Homes Tour
Wood
Kara Wood Designs has been creating wonderful woodwork for over 20 years. All of the shapes and patterns are original designs done by John Kara. The business started in the early 1990’s and consisted strictly of collapsible baskets. Years later, John got the idea to angle-cut different shapes such as angels, trees and crosses. We work in an individual studio where we use hardwoods and laminations of hardwoods to make the artwork.
We are a couple who live and work together. 42 years ago, we formed a business venture, an on-going partnership, when we chose to create traditional hand-tooled kitchen utensils and wooden vessels.
Our deep appreciation and reverence for trees are reflected in our approach to making long-lasting, functional art pieces.
We refined our skills, techniques, finishes and our artistry challenged us and guided us to making custom commission furniture.
Crudely fashioned or exquisitely detailed, decoys provided a means of luring migratory waterfowl close enough to be an important staple in the diet of the Colonists, whose early years were harsh before crops became established. Dabbs’ gunning decoys start as eight-foot planks of white cedar, winter-cut and air-dried for at least two years. Sitting on a carving bench, she demonstrates every technique in a step-by-step process that shows a decoy’s progress from start to finish. Using antique handtools (a hatchet, mallet and gouge, spokeshave and carving knife), the head is doweled for strength before being attached to the hollowed-out body. Durable house paint assures a sturdy finish that stands up to the rigors of field use, and inletted lead makes sure the decoy self-rights in choppy water or sits nicely on a mantel. The tradition and history of the work are as important as the style and form of Dabbs’ carvings, as each decoy must be seaworthy and durable, as well as beautiful.
Stanik is a second generation woodworker, and learned most of his skills by working with his father. He has worked with his hands and built furniture most of his life. His passion is to take pieces of rough lumber and fashion it into a fine piece of furniture. About 15 years ago he began to enjoy building furniture using reclaimed American Wormy Chestnut. All of the wood used is reclaimed from structures that have outlived their usage. This sets Yesteryear apart from other craftsmen as they are able to build wonderful furniture that has an incredible history. Most of the pieces built are of Shaker style. They learn the history of how the Shakers built their furniture. During this time in history, metal was hard to obtain and expensive, so they were forced to come up with methods to construct their furniture that achieved the purpose and would last for years. Stanik utilizes as many of these methods as they feel it is still superior to modern methods.
