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Andrew Pitts - FurnitureMaker

Juried Status: Professional Virginia Artisan

Media: Wood:  Furniture,

Artist Statement:

I design and make contemporary Virginia hardwood furniture, and I relish the freedom to transform wonderful woods into equally wonderful pieces of custom furniture that people can use in their homes and offices. I am largely self-taught with 35 years woodworking experience, although like many of my generation I was greatly influenced by the work of contemporary furniture masters like James Krenov and Sam Maloof. My prior career in the Navy as a nuclear engineer and ship Captain unexpectedly prepared me as a designer, as the discipline I learned translated into an astute attention to detail and pursuit of perfection. Lately I have had the rare opportunity to broaden my thinking by studying under contemporaries such as Canadian furniture designer/maker Michael Fortune and English wood carver Chris Pye. At my workshop in the secluded forests of Northumberland County, I use Virginia hardwood trees in my furniture, harvesting, milling and drying the lumber myself with my sawmill and solar drying kiln. My design approach is to celebrate the wood's inherent beauty, respecting its imperfections and variations, while mastering it as a material through techniques like bent lamination and hand carving to make fine pieces that are graceful, yet powerful.

Hours: 8 AM - 6 PM