If you are tired of hearing me write about Country Workshops, go read another blog right now…last week I heard from Drew Langsner and we were writing back & forth about a few things. He mentioned that 2013 might really be the last summer of guest instructors’ classes at Country Workshops. I knew it was coming; but it’s still a big deal to me…this is where I learned woodworking and so much more. I first traveled to Drew & Louise’s place in 1980, and have been a regular there off and on ever since.
Drew says he will keep teaching his 4-person classes in chairmaking and spoon & bowl carving, and the tool store will keep running. But the full-blown, summer, large group experiences will probably come to an end. Imagine having between 8 & 12 people, sometimes more, coming to your home 5 or 6 weeks each summer, SINCE 1978! And feeding them, 3x a day…like you wouldn’t believe.
So – if you haven’t been – make some arrangements, shift your schedule, gas up the car. If you have been, time to come back for the semi-last hurrah. Come and take my class. If you folks don’t sign up, I don’t get to go. Or take any of the others. Carl Swensson will knock you out completely in making Swiss cooperage. Carl is one of the best, but little-known, woodworkers in the country. Osamu Shoji will be coming from Japan, for a class in Making a Folding Byobu Room Divider… see the website for all the details. Sign up for the newsletter from Country Workshops…it’s full of good stuff. http://countryworkshops.org/
So will I see you in the mountains?
Here’s previous entries on CW http://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/?s=Country+Workshops
Here’s pictures, in no particular order
January 16, 2013 at 9:42 pm
Thats too bad that they will be shutting done some of their classes but I can understand for sure. I wish I could take a class there but at a thousand dollars a pop it is out of my reach at this point in my life. It is too bad the classes cost so much. I wish there were more people mentoring people into the craft these days. Next best thing for me are books I suppose.
Take care,
Dave
January 16, 2013 at 9:49 pm
I am planning to take your class, though coming from California, logistics are a bit more difficult. Hopefully I will see you in August!
January 22, 2013 at 1:53 pm
I talked to Drew today, and am officially signed up. I couldn’t pass up what could be the last chance at this experience.
January 16, 2013 at 10:09 pm
I have wanted to take Drew’s “Rustic Windsor” class and/or yours if I can get the funds together. I hope to make it happen. It will be sad if it all ends before I can get there.
January 17, 2013 at 12:04 am
Retirement? Congratulations!
I’d love to take a class but I can’t see as how I would have the funds together in time this year. If I did get the money together (I’d have to stop buying tools) I would have to take a class on something that I could lash to the motorcycle (55 MPG) as driving my 12 year old Subaru (23 MPG) down from Vermont would push the class well out of reach. The cost of the classes sounds pretty reasonable considering the Langser’s put you up the whole time plus feed you each day.
January 17, 2013 at 12:38 am
I was just talking about these classes today saying how I wished I could go. But, it’s so far away. I was hoping to go next summer. Maybe …maybe, I’ll be able to get out there *this* summer. That would be nice.
January 17, 2013 at 11:03 am
I was distressed to read that in the CW newsletter yesterday, this is epochal.
I got so much more out of your box class than just the carving techniques I’d expected. While I questioned my decision to attend before the class, by the end of the first day I found it easily worth flying in from the left coast. It’s even worth selling tools for.
January 18, 2013 at 11:37 am
Peter
Thank you for putting up the pictures of Country Workshops. They go back a good ways. The first two include me. One has me lecturing a lot of foolishness about spokeshaves. I believe they were taken in !978 or 1979. We worked in an in service cow barn! Wille Sundquist taught the first class the year before.Was 1980 your first class?. I recall we made a post and rung chair and you slept thru your 2:00 am Kiln Check. No damage, no penalty. We took for granted the incredible contributions of Drew and Louise Langsner.The beautiful first slide tells it all. What a healthy change for us city boys. What a quieting start of a new life.
jennie