Tuesday, March 8, 2005

Men's woodworking skills earn kudos

Two Durangoans win Best of Show, Second at Farmington show

By Celeste Bonde
Special to the Herald

 Durango craftsmen won best of show and second place in the "Woodworkers V Exhibition”  in Farmington during the month of January, at San Juan College.

 Doug Hunderman won the top prize for his rocking chair entitled "Mountain Rocker," and Gardner "Gardy" Catsman took second for his shelving unit entitled "Bent.”

Hunderman's walnut chair is a stacked laminate construction, like a butcher block which he cut, glued and transformed into a fluid shape. Hunderman doesn't see his chair as separate pieces

of wood glued together, but as a single unit with a solid function.

"It's what life is all about: movement, growth and progress." said Hunderman, speaking by  phone last week. "The design suggests movement." Hunderman's master's degree in theology is perceptible in his work

He likes what the rocking chair represents. It’s a place of rest and rejuvenation. Our lives are so unbalanced and very few of us slow down enough to rest," he said. "But sitting in a rocker, which floats like the wind under you, looking out into nature, that feeds your soul, not just your body."

 Hunderman's favorite part of woodworking is the challenge of successfully creating a piece of furniture that flows. He enjoys taking fine hardwoods and creating something more.

Each rocker takes about two to three weeks to make and sells for $4,800. They can be purchased straight off the gallery floor, or for the same money, Hunderman will take measurements and custom fit the chair to the customer's body. The rocking chairs can be seen at Rain Dance Gallery in Durango, and at Lo Fino in Taos, New Mexico. Mr. Hunderman can also be commissioned to build other pieces of custom furniture for home use.