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 In the Spring of 2008 Peter
and his wife Elizabeth purchased forty-five acres of “God’s
Country” in New Sharon, Maine. Eight hundred feet down an
abandoned town road this mature wood lot parcel slopes southeast down
to a picturesque beaver pond and then rises fairly steeply facing north
towards the majestic Western Mountains of Maine. Two streams feed
the pond which is large enough to support all sorts of wildlife, from
kingfishers to moose. Crisscrossed with old field stone walls
this hardwood lot hasn’t been touched in over sixty years and
consists primarily of White Ash, Beech, and Sugar Maple trees.
Dotted through this parcel you can find “Heritage Trees” that dwarf the others.
These individuals have been around for well over a
hundred years and must have been decent size trees back in the 1920s
when this property was used as a farmer’s fields. Three old
stone foundations hidden among the mature growth are indications of
where the farm buildings were located. These structures were most
likely abandoned during the Great Depression as people left rural Maine
to look for jobs. Peter is enjoying the process of getting to
know the individual trees on his property, especially as he hopes to
tap the Sugar Maples for syrup in the near future. The largest
tree on the property is a huge White Ash that Peter has a hard time
reaching halfway around with his outstretched arms. Massive at
it’s base this tree begins to taper down twenty feet off the
ground before branching out into a handful of towering limbs.
Inspired by the beautiful Ash trees on his property the Calma Studio
Chair is the first functional art piece Peter decided to build from the
wood of this attractive tree. Ash is light in color and weight,
has an interesting grain pattern, and is fairly easy to shape by
hand. At the beginning of the design process Peter wanted to play
around with the concept of a large mass supporting a diminishing
top. He was interested in creating a design that seemed to grow
out of the ground, have flowing lines, as well as, being simple and
uncluttered. Gaelic for the word “stout” the Calma
Studio Chair’s seat is deep enough to force the extended rear leg
to be just that, an extended rear leg. It’s only function
is to compliment the other curves in this unique design. Unlike
his Bora Kiti the sitter on a Calma Studio Chair would have to scoot
back a few times in this beautifully handcrafted seat to be able to
find the extended rear leg to use as a back rest. By carving this
seat deeper than any of his other 8/4 inch thick seats Peter has
created a sitting experience much like his comfortable Eddy or Tokame
Stools, both of which are without back supports.
Peter has two short stools in his living room which are used quite
frequently by family members and guests. Even though they both
have their own places in this common living area they are also the
easiest extra seats to move to a new location when the need
arises. It is not uncommon to see that these stools have been
moved and are occupied when his children are home to visit. One
of the most favorite uses for these stools is to carry them over
towards the wood stove to warm up on a cold Maine winter night! A
Calma Studio Chair would definitely add beauty and comfort in your home
while being used in this multifunctional and mobile way.
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Cost
$1,000
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