Posted by Paul Sellers on 28 Sep 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 1 comment

Cultural influences on crafts and craft work Of all of the places I visit to look at the work of our fore-bearing woodworkers, some of my favourites are those that depict a cultural way of life that encapsulates a sort of a sustainable wholeness we might seldom see today. By wholeness I mean a culture that contains within itself a sustainability that doesn’t revolve around saving alluminium cans to serve the same addictive content over and over but hand made goods that will still be Read More

Posted by Paul Sellers on 29 Sep 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 1 comment

I have heard and sung this song for thirty years and found many hidden truths in its simplicity.  Simple gifts  Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free Tis a gift to come round where we ought to be And when we find ourselves in a place just right It will be in the valley of love and delight  Where true simplicity is gained To bow and to bend we shall not be ashamed To turn, turn will be our delight Till by turning, turning we come round right.  The Shakers, Read More

Posted by Paul Sellers on 30 Sep 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 0 comments

Hancock Shaker Village - entrepreneurial and industrious There can be no doubt Shaker investment of work resulting from faith-wrought  conviction developed a way of life we will never see again. It’s not surprising that the group faded away to become mere memory following some of the unusual teachings they proscribed to. But looking beyond celibacy, separation and other aspects of Shaker life, it is evident that they pursued a measure of collective unison that brought joy to their work and Read More

Posted by Paul Sellers on 2 Oct 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 0 comments

It was as I said, eye opening first, inspiring second and dovetailing third. The first dovetails were really good, the second ones less perfect and then we started the boxes and we were on our way to discovery. Half boxes stood on the bench as we closed for the day and swept the floor. We were feeling and touching real wood and real wood worked into walls of boxes meant we understood the principles well enough to make dovetails for the rest of our lives. Sawing is an important skill and having the Read More

Posted by Paul Sellers on 5 Oct 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 4 comments

Seasons and seasonings change My day was filled in the "seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness" October brings though not in my native England. Yes we had rain, but it was made the more lovely by visiting The Hancock Shaker Village again. My day off was spent on a return visit to the Hankcock Shaker Museum. Though I felt like an English interloper from Manchester England, I derived a lot of pleasure in the reality that the way I was trained was identical to the way the Shaker craftsmen and Read More