One man and his tools. Working with complete respect towards the ever changing qualities of wood, Alex Devol, a friend of fforest & regular contributor at Gather, has an inspiring attitude towards the art of woodcraft.
His Gather workshops offer an opportunity to learn an extremely rewarding skill, finishing the day with a hand-carved piece that starts life as a simple block of wood. On top of that, Alex's workshops also open up a space to be transported elsewhere; lost in concentration, completely transfixed by the beauty of woodcraft:
'There is joy to be had working with materials both on a philosophical and physical level. Recently there has been a lot of talk about flow state within psychology; we know that when people are engaged in physical challenges or concentrating on what they are doing like weaving, they are in a meditative, relaxed state.'
- Alex Devol
A sense of accomplishment will always come from creating something from nothing; from being taught a new skill, enjoying it, and then coming away with a finished product that you're proud of. Alex's workshops combine two things that he finds most important: to be outside and to work with your hands. fforest can provide the idyllic location and Alex will use his expertise to guide you in creating a piece of functional art from wood.
'I find there is an inherent comfort and pride that comes from making things, but also in living with objects which have been made with care and time. When I drink coffee from hand made pottery I like to think of the clay as it was being thrown, I imagine the maker, the workshop, the mug taking shape. When I drink from a paper cup I think of nothing.'
- Alex Devol
