Interview With Artisans Ofthe Valley - Part 1
If there’s one thing I love, it’s watching a skilled expert demonstrate an ability that’s been refined over years of practice. It really goes to show that there’s no substitute for hands-on experience, earned through sweat and dedication.
That’s why, when I saw the work of Eric M Saperstein’s from artisansofthevalley.com, I had to ask him for an interview. He has some very unique woodworking philosophies that should great example to all of the aspiring craftspeople who read this blog.
Hello Eric… Can you please tell our readers a bit about your company.
Artisans of the Valley, based in Pennington, NJ, is an exclusive custom furniture, woodcarving, and restoration studio. Our craftsmen are the last of the traditional apprenticeship method of passing on the skills of furniture design, joynery, carving, and finishing. We offer our custom furniture by commission, hand signing and dating each heirloom upon completion.
Wow… So how did you get into this to begin with?
I got my start into woodworking very young, about the time I started walking I found myself wandering through the shop. I was taught to start with hand tools and worked through learning each machine as soon as I was tall enough to safely operate it. I learned carpentry, case goods, basic joynery, finish prep, and finishing techniques. By the time I was a teenager had mastered the basic case good configurations and was intrical in producing bookcases, entertainment centers, and other such pieces.
Over the years I participated in various adult school classes my father taught, provided restoration services for Howell Living Historical Farms and on other projects coming through the shop. This brought in more opportunities to learn furniture construction.
I took over the studio from my father in 2001, officially reopening with a new company in 2002. Carving and more detailed restoration, more complex commissions all came along with the business brought in through the internet and other marketing venues. By 2008, my father decided to confirm my status as a master, which inspired the creation of a hand illuminated parchment featuring the proclamation the completion of all stages of my apprenticeship.
What made you decide to dedicate your life to this unusual craft?
I decided to take on woodworking as a second career, something to counter the corporate world. Corporate stifles creativity, woodworking and owning my own shop that would let me control my own creativity. Blending the two worlds allowed the opportunity to maintain a consistent income and benefits while not only being able to express creative freedom but building an exclusive studio and accepting only the best commissions and restoration projects; those that we want to work on.
Corporate stifles creativity, woodworking and owning my own shop that would let me control my own creativity.
What is “The Philosophy of Restoration”? And how does it guide the way you work?
Our “Philosophy of Restoration” was defined in an article my father and I drafted back in 2002, and revised just recently. The basic premise is that furniture requires maintenance, and when the maintenance restoration of our prized pieces is properly carried out the functional and aesthetic value is preserved for not only our enjoyment but for future generations.
You’ll never find anyone driving up to a car show, stepping out, and bragging their perfectly restored Ford Model T has the original oil. It seems that the Smithsonian spends an awful lot of time and resources painstakingly restoring paintings, planes, artefacts, and in case nobody else noticed FURNITURE!
Why is it considered such a sin to maintain and restore furniture? This is a misnomer developed and propagated by antique dealers whom do not wish to invest in the proper preservation and care of their inventory, let alone in a full restoration.
Conserve and restore a piece of furniture to prevent it from turning to dust, to avoid losing it to posterity. It is also often a function of necessity, when we receive pieces covered in mold from basement storage or severely damaged from an ill fated relocation. Fire, flood, vandalism, and other damage is also a common plight that must be properly rectified.
All else considered, if you can document George Washington’s ink stain, we’d certainly never condone removing it. Value of a given nick or bang is often in the story behind it. We do not erase the history and distressed appearance of a well aged patina, but we do take our time to ensure that an antique or collectable can be put proudly displayed in your home or office.
Due to length, we’ll be continuing this interview in a future segment. In the meantime, you can visit Eric’s site or get a hold of him directly here:
Eric M. Saperstein
Master Craftsman
Artisans of the Valley
Furniture Restoration and Custom Furniture
[To Be Continued In Part 2]
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I did a preety good job teaching the child didn’t I
The Old Master and Dad