Celebrating 'Women in Wood"
As a lead-up to International Women's Day on Friday, 8th March, Carbatec is excited to launch our special campaign, "Women in Wood." Over the next fortnight, we'll be celebrating some remarkable female artists who are shaping the world of woodworking with their unique talent and vision.
Be sure to follow our journey on carbatec.com.au and social media channels – Facebook and Instagram – as we share their stories and incredible creations using the hashtag #womeninwood. We can't wait to introduce you to these inspiring women and showcase the diversity of the woodworking community. Let's meet some now.
Monica Redden - Furniture Maker
South Australia
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your craft?
I was born in Jamestown, SA, and will be forever grateful to the Jamestown High School for allowing girls to do woodwork. In 1973, I was the second girl to be allowed to leave home economics and transfer to woodwork and metalwork. Our teacher instilled safety and tidy work practices and was a very encouraging craftsman. I loved it then and have maintained my passion for making and creating in wood ever since.
Over the years, I have collected tools, attended open woodworking workshops, joined local high school adult woodworking classes, read books and magazines, visited exhibitions and watched YouTube videos on all things woodwork. For many years, I operated in a small shed using a Triton table saw, various versions of benches and a smattering of secondhand tools. Working full-time, raising our daughter, and actively engaging with family and friends kept me busy, but I always made time to do woodwork.
Since retirement four years ago, I have ramped it up! I built a larger shed and improved the space to make it a joy to be in. I have extended the shed to incorporate timber storage/dust collection, improved my dust collection system, insulated, lined and painted the walls and ceiling, and upgraded some of my tools. I really enjoy being down there.
Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?
My mother was a farmer with her father initially, and then when she married, she and my father lived on a farm. She was a very practical woman and just did things and made things. I remember, as a little girl, the thrill of her bringing home a huge inbuilt cupboard that she had made in the high school adult class. I was so impressed that Mum could create something like that. I think she has inspired me all my life. I upgraded my table saw and added the timber storage shed in her honour, aptly named Nora’s Shed.
Other inspirations include people who demonstrate and share their skills. I have recently discovered the work of Danielle Rose Byrd and Carol Russell, both women are incredibly creative with their carving and woodcraft. I have really enjoyed Danielle’s book on bowl carving, her love for wood and her understanding of how to work with it is inspiring. April Wilkinson really had an impact on me a few years ago when she started her YouTube channel, she was enthusiastic and really encouraging people just to get on and make things/do things. DIY Montreal is also great, and I get lots of ideas on projects and workshop improvements through her YouTube channel.
Paul Sellers is a very kind man and generously shares his skills in using hand tools to do all things in woodworking, he is very skilled and so encouraging to make the craft of woodworking accessible to everyone. Rob Cosman is similarly generous and encouraging. Matt Eastlea has also been very generous, demonstrating woodworking skills and encouraging us to be creative.
I am pretty eclectic in my gathering of ideas, and I do like mid-century/Danish-influenced designs. Similarly, I am drawn to the simplicity of Shaker-style furniture as well as Japanese-designed furniture. I am interested in box making but haven’t done much of it and am just discovering a few designers/makers. Similarly, I am interested in carving and am currently eyeing my Lilly Pilly tree that needs to be removed from our yard and imagining what I might do with the timber. I recently learnt that Fred Hollows made all the furniture in his home. That is my quest over the next few years. I am currently planning to make a mid-century style bed similar to the bed my parents had when I was growing up and an entertainment bench that somehow incorporates a tambour door! I have a few principles that guide me and my work, including it has to look good to me, be functional, be nice to touch and give me joy to make.
What has been the most challenging project for you this far in your journey?
I recently completed a hallway table, which I designed, drawing on various examples found in magazines. It was challenging for me to get the proportions right. I was looking for simplicity, uncluttered, functional and aesthetically pleasing. I like what I made. More recently, I made a coffee table based on the plans by FourEyes Furniture. They set out to challenge the maker and encourage us to stretch into design and practices we haven’t tried before. The angles in this table were a new challenge for me. I made a shaving horse for my friend Jane’s 70th. I based it on a design by Chairman Tom, it should have been a relatively simple build, but unbeknown to me, half of the measurements were missing in the plan, I kept on thinking it was me that was getting it wrong. Anyhow, it led me to the YouTube channel of Chairman Tom, which was fantastic, this wiley craftsman demonstrates step by step on how to build the shaving horse. His storytelling is fantastic.
See the video here.
What would you say your proudest achievement to date is?
A few things come to mind:
Creating a workspace that is a pleasure to go into. Taking myself seriously as a woodworker and maker. Making things for my friends and family and knowing that they think of me even when I am not around. At Christmas time, I am very busy making gifts, my partner Clare says it feels like the elves are down in the shed working all hours and emerging with all sorts of delights.
What advice would you provide to someone considering woodworking as a creative pursuit?
Do it! Find good people to mentor and guide you. Buy good tools, honestly… buy good tools. Learn to sharpen your tools (my perpetual challenge!) Mistakes are points of learning; don’t let them stop you. Read, watch, and listen to all things woodwork.
Katie Stafford - Girl & Grain - Furniture Maker and Instructor
New South Wales
www.girlandgrain.com.au
@girlandgrain
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your craft?
I’m Katie. I’m a TAFE-trained Furniture Maker based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. I design and make custom-made furniture for clients who lean towards a minimalist, clean aesthetic. I also teach beginner woodworking classes. I came to woodworking later in life and am so grateful to have found such joy and obsession in this craft. Every new commission is an opportunity to learn and hone my skills.
Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?
In this digital world, I make a conscious effort to curate my feed deliberately. I follow other makers, interior designers, stylists, architects, craftspeople, teachers, and idea generators. I have a love of nature, and I lean towards organic shapes and textures. All these things influence and provide me with a well of inspiration. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing.
What has been the most challenging project for you this far in your journey?
It was in March 2020. I signed a lease to a commercial workshop the same week COVID was announced. I was only just beginning my maker's journey, and the pandemic put a lot of extra pressure on me. It was scary. Although challenging, I managed to make it work. I learned the art of pivoting in small business and was able to keep the doors open.
What would you say your proudest achievement to date is?
I’d say gaining my qualifications in my mid-30s has been my proudest achievement to date. It took a lot of courage and self-determination to turn up to TAFE every week. I was the only woman and the only person older than 20. I was also still working in my advertising career four days a week and also being a Mum to my then 2-year-old son.
What advice would you provide to someone considering woodworking as a creative pursuit?
I’d suggest to them that they find a maker whose work they love. Reach out to them, see if they’d be open to a five-minute chat, or, even better, ask if they would mind you visiting their workshop. The woodworking community are a generous bunch. That said, make sure you know what you want to ask and have your questions ready. They’re generous but busy. I’d also suggest doing some classes, watching YouTube videos, starting on some small projects, rolling up your sleeves and having a go. Just be safe.
Sam Kurikawa – She Bangs
Carpenter, Handywoman, Instructor
Victoria
https://shebangs.mystrikingly.com/
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your craft?
I came to the whole D-I-Y/carpentry/handywoman thing really late. I've always been a much more cerebral person. But as a single woman, I have always been fiercely independent and very much 'Can do!'. When it came to doing a major cosmetic renovation back in 2020, though, I needed help. Not from trades but from my network. I realised that lots of us wanted to use tools and do cool things with timber but didn't know how. More than the lack of skills, though, was the complete absence of confidence; it seemed so foreign and scary! And I wanted to change that because if a regular bloke can pick up a drill or a saw and build something, why can't we? So, I started a local community of women interested in DIY, and there was overwhelming enthusiasm to get involved. One of the first courses I attended was a beginner's woodworking for women. The more I learned, the more I realised there was to learn, and it led me on a journey and a complete career change! I quit my professional job, went back to TAFE to get building and carpentry qualifications, took loads of masterclasses - and committed to sharing as much of my newfound knowledge and skills with other women as possible.
Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?
I'm really big on sustainability and natural building, as well as techniques that created our built environment for centuries, so I lurk in those communities a lot. People who understand wood as a material and are able to manipulate it to create beautiful and long-lasting things - whether it's a countertop or fine furniture, or a jewellery box - are incredibly inspiring to me. Of course, I follow a lot of women's trades on Instagram, but I also have enormous respect for Tatsunori Tsunetou ('Kikura') - a Japanese woodworker. The Japanese are absolute masters of craft, and their works stand the test of time.
What has been the most challenging project for you this far on your journey?
All of them! I'm not a 'natural', and my education has been sporadic and self-guided. I've suffered from a lack of mentorship, which means I always have to learn the hard way! Still, that means I can feel proud of what I achieve because I know I worked hard and overcame the challenges. Also, going to TAFE as a mature-aged woman to do carpentry was a hard slog. I did not enjoy the restrictive environment at all and found fitting in with teenage boys an insurmountable challenge!
What would you say your proudest achievement to date is?
Honestly, every day, I am proud of myself. Every new client, every workshop I run, every new skill I acquire. Just being in this space is an achievement to me because, let's face it, it's not made for women. My business is still small but pressing on through lockdowns and getting through TAFE to graduate with two qualifications are testament to my resilience, and I am proud of that for sure. I could have easily given up, but I am still here, still sharing with other women. And that's worth celebrating in my book!
What advice would you provide to someone considering woodworking as a creative pursuit?
Don't compare yourself to anyone, but commit to learning from everyone. If you're naturally talented, embrace that and hone your craft, but if you're not, there is still a place for you. Just try. You'll get better through practice and sheer determination. And if nothing else, it's a very mindful practice and delivers benefits well beyond what you produce.
Carol Black, Artisan - Pyrography, Resin & Woodwork
Queensland
@burningbird_pyrography
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your craft?
I took up colouring-in around 8 years ago as a means to unwind and destress. This ended up being the perfect stepping stone to trying my hand at pyrography. It gave me an understanding of dark and light shading to create depth in images. Pyrography is much the same, except it’s done on timber, and the same effect is created without the use of colour. It’s a very versatile art as it can be done on almost anything timber to give it a creative twist.
Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?
Most of my projects are not planned but rather developed from things I see around me: a pretty scenery, a wooden kitchen bowl, a lizard on a rock, a handwritten recipe handed down from mother to daughter… I find inspiration everywhere, but my favourite way of finding inspiration is timber hunting. Each piece of timber has its own vibe. The grain, the colour and the shape all contribute to what the image will be. I draw most of my inspiration when I’m searching for these unique pieces of timber. More often than not, I will start a project, and it will take on a life of its own. The more I work on it, the more the idea develops.
What has been the most challenging project for you this far in your journey?
The most challenging project by far has been the one where I have tried to incorporate two mediums, pyrography and water pencils. The vision was to have Japanese scenery on a long board. One side of the board has the scenery in pyrography, and the other side is a mirror image of the scenery done in water pencils. This is still a work in progress. As pencils don’t glide on timber quite the same as pyrography nibs do, the water pencils do not deliver the same kind of detail the pyrography has. The project has been in the works for around 6 months.
What would you say your proudest achievement to date is?
Of all the pieces I have created so far, my favourite would be a handwritten recipe handed down three generations – grandmother to daughter to granddaughter. The granddaughter wanted the recipe burnt on a piece of timber to gift her mother. I chose a piece of Jacaranda as it’s a light, plain colour, ensuring the handwriting is the focus, not the timber itself. Everyone immediately recognised the grandmother’s handwriting, and the family now has their grandmother’s handwritten recipe to hand down for many generations to come. Knowing I could contribute to this gave me more joy than any other piece I’ve created.
What advice would you provide to someone considering woodworking as a creative pursuit?
If you have any interest in woodwork, don’t hesitate. It might seem daunting to start, but like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get. Reach out to people who have experience in the area you’re interested in. Most people love sharing their knowledge. The satisfaction of seeing a project take form is very fulfilling and definitely worthwhile.
Theresa Darmody – Carver and Instructor
Queensland
https://www.instagram.com/theresadarmody/
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your craft?
I started woodcarving about 7 years ago. Initially, I wanted to carve as a sideline to my painting practice, but I became so hooked on carving that I now pursue it full-time. All my pieces are hand-carved as I love the slow, meditative and quiet aspect of that. Most of the objects I carve are small, useful things like spoons, bowls, bangles and combs, but I also love creating purely sculptural pieces.
Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?
My inspiration most often comes from the wood itself. I like to draw freehand directly onto the piece of wood that I’m drawn to. Nature, organic lines and forms influence the shapes I make. Nothing is symmetrical, and I like it that way. The exception to this is the combs I carve. These were inspired by images I saw in a book on traditional Japanese crafts. They are very simple, and beautiful and feel fantastic on your scalp.
What has been the most challenging project for you this far in your journey?
The most challenging pieces are usually the pieces in hard-to-work timbers, either physically hard or with grain direction going every which way. Often, though, these are the pieces I’m most happy with, the most worth doing even though they may get sworn at along the way.
What would you say your proudest achievement to date is?
My proudest achievement is passing on my skills to others. I started running carving workshops in 2021 and found that it gives me so much joy to see someone else’s eyes light up when they start carving and feel a sense of achievement with their finished piece.
What advice would you provide to someone considering woodworking as a creative pursuit?
Start simple, get some timber that’s easy to work with and a project that’s not too difficult. You learn a lot just by carving a simple spoon, but you’ll have a useful object. Also, learn how to sharpen your tools early on because they will be so much easier, safer and more pleasant to work with.
Flora Rumbelow, Wood Turner
South Australia
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your craft?
I have been a teacher, a student counsellor and a school principal in both country South Australia and in Adelaide and am now retired. I attended TAFE at night and did a Cert III in Furnishing while in Adelaide, where I discovered turning. I subsequently moved to the west coast of South Australia, where I was the Principal of Elliston Area School. I had a Tech Studies workshop at my disposal, where I taught basic woodwork skills to students and organised experts to come across from Adelaide High to develop their skills further. After four years at Ceduna Area School as Principal, I returned to Adelaide and joined Northern Turners, where I am part of the organizing committee.
Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?
This has come from being part of a group of many excellent turners, including Tim Skilton who is recognized as being one of the best in Australia. We have different demonstrators from within the group on a regular basis who cater to the needs of beginners as well as those who have been turning for years.
What has been the most challenging project for you this far in your journey?
I have attempted to incorporate pewter in my turnings, and so far, have not been happy with the results. More work is needed!
What would you say your proudest achievement to date is?
I have enjoyed being a role model for others, especially women. I was Artist of the Month for Pepper Street Gallery in Adelaide last year, and I exhibit and sell in December/January each year with other N.T. people, where we are able to promote the benefits of being involved in such a pursuit.
What advice would you provide to someone considering woodworking as a creative pursuit?
Join a group like Northern Turners in Adelaide who meet three times a month at Torrens Valley Christian School, and be prepared to look and listen to others and keep notes on what you are learning!
Basia Lamb - Salty Soul Creative Studio
Pyrographer and Instructor
Western Australia
https://www.instagram.com/saltysoulcreative/
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your craft?
In my family of three, with my ever-encouraging husband and my enthusiastic three-year-old daughter, nothing remains still for very long. Forever the collector of artistic endeavours, I never stayed in love with one art form for too long until I burnt my first block. It was love at first singe. I am a wood burner (pyrographer), and the joy of creating intricate designs and seeing how wood reacts under my nib is such a satisfying experience. I first experimented with wood burning when my husband purchased me a novelty solid tip wood-burning pen to tinker with - and I was fed up within minutes. It went back in the drawer, only to be revisited a few years later when I upgraded to a wire tip unit. That was a game-changer. Ever since I’ve been smitten with soot and sawdust.
Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?
I’ve always had a bit of an imagination, and I adore the small and large natural wonders that surround us. Being based in W.A. I am spoilt for inspiration, but I do love to reflect the curiosity and wonder I have had since childhood in my works, avoiding ‘realism’ and delving into the fantastical nature of things. My daughter helps me be playful with my creations.
What has been the most challenging project for you this far in your journey?
The most challenging works are always my Pet Portrait commissions. They mean so much to our community members, and it’s immensely important that they reflect the love and connection between companions. Facial structures, lighting and the ‘soul’ need to be perfect, and as with all wood burnings, once it’s burnt, there’s little remedy for mistakes.
What would you say your proudest achievement to date is?
This leap both me and my family took from a well-paying, secure role to being a full-time wood-burning artist and teacher. After a medical diagnosis that changed our outlook on the pursuit of joy, with my husband’s encouragement, we launched Salty Soul Creative Studio. I honestly couldn’t have fathomed how far we have come in one year, and I am so grateful to be able to share my art and this often-overlooked artform with other curious folk.
What advice would you provide to someone considering woodworking as a creative pursuit?
Find a mentor and a friend to bounce ideas and techniques around with. Talent comes from trying, so the skill will come with time. Joy is what matters most, and having someone who shares in your newfound passion just emphasizes it. Also, start small. Expect to be bad at something before you get good at it. Give yourself some grace. I am in the process of rebranding my business - which will hopefully launch soon - but I will keep you in the loop of its progression.
The Stirling Womens Shed
Western Australia
https://www.thejoyofwood.com.au/stirling-%20womens-shed/
Their motto:
Creating things in good company makes it even more enjoyable, as we learn and grow together!
Who are they?
An independent woodworking teaching organisation operates the Stirling Women's Shed, The Joy of Wood, in a unique partnership with The City of Stirling in WA.
The SWS is open to members and non-members, who can work on their own woodworking projects in open sessions or can attend a workshop. The teaching staff from The Joy of Wood are committed to teaching traditional woodworking hand skills and techniques.
What they say:
'It has been wonderful to watch the members thriving as they develop new woodworking skills and as their confidence grows'.
'We believe in the value of intergenerational interaction, and are keen for younger women to develop relationships with older women. The Women’s Shed provides a great opportunity for this to take place in this vibrant, growing community of women'.
Who is it for?
Women aged 16 and upwards, including those who identify as female, are welcome to participate in programs at the Stirling Women's Shed. While established primarily to serve women who reside in the City of Stirling, all women are welcome, including those who reside outside of the City of Stirling.
What's on offer?
Open sessions
Workshops
Member-only events
Private tuition
Private events
Home school & kids
|