ARTIST
Michael Doerr
Doerr Woodworking

ADDRESS
4371 HWY. M
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

PHONE/FAX
(920) 743-5631 /

EMAIL ADDRESS
michael@michaeldoerr.com

WEBSITE
http://www.michaeldoerr.com

SHOWS
2009 Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show - BALTIMORE,
2009 Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show - MILWAUKEE

DESCRIPTION
Michael A. Doerr

Doerr Woodworking

“A place where the soul of a tree meets the spirit of the craftsman”

What we perceive, and do with our hands will echo in time. As one studies design and craft and turns their own ideas into finished products, they start to reach through history to commune with craftspeople that have gone before. I had the great experience of working for and learning from master shipwright Fred Nimiphuis , who helped me to understand the value of passing on information to the next generation, who are willing to do the work and learn, to become part of the craft tradition. Not only are we expressing ourselves through craft, but the artifacts we create and leave for others to study and understand is our legacy for the future, and our connection to the past.
After leaving college and apprenticing for Fred Nimiphuis as a wooden shipwright were, I gained my first knowledge of wood. The design and construction of furniture I taught to myself over the years and am still teaching to others and myself.
There are a number of special characteristics that are trademarks of my work. One is the importance of selecting individual pieces of wood to enhance the overall design. Another integral feature is the flow of an unbroken line that continues throughout the majority of my designs, creating a cohesive and unified quality to the overall outline. This one-dimensional aspect, as seen in the profile, may be perceived almost as one looks at a pencil sketch. The line is very crisp and distinct.
Because the tree once lived, every cutting of new wood is dynamic, a challenge to combine the best flow of grain with design and so honor the beauty and life of the tree. The patron and the artisan then become partners in this unique and timeless relationship simply called craft.