Interview with Judith Ames
In anticipation of a new show of work by Judith Ames, which opened at our Gallery July 3rd, 2008, we asked the artist a series of questions about her artwork and inspirations. 

NWFW-.You have been making furniture for a long time. What is it that still inspires you to create such unique furniture items?

Judith- I find it endlessly fascinating to make furniture. It is one of those lucky jobs where you never feel that you have exhausted the opportunity to improve your skills and to come up with entirely new approaches to the task at hand.

 It turns out that, after all those years of struggling, I find I have a vocabulary of visual effects and techniques which I can bring to bear when designing new work. Marquetry has become easier: I can draw almost more easily with the scroll saw than with a pencil.

NWFW-How do you select what wood and other materials you will use in each piece?

Judith- It took me a long time to select the woods used in the upcoming show. I ordered various veneer samples and experimented with different combinations of wood. On the Vinca cabinet, I wanted a dark brown veneer with a strong vertical line as background for the purple and green of the Vinca flower and vine. I was a little worried that the red of Santos mahogany used on the legs and trim might be too bold a choice, but I think it worked. Each piece has its own requirements: the watery look of the figured maple in the corner cabinet and the fine but complicated texture of the border veneer on the Zig Zag Table top. There is a thread of continuity throughout the show with the rich brown of Sapele used in several pieces.  

NWFW- How do you feel about the future of hand made studio furniture?

Judith- I think there is a great future for studio furniture. I believe we all long for beauty and meaning in every day objects. So many of the objects in our lives are made in such vast quantity that they have no imprint of human touch or thought.

Some objects gain meaning by use: the well-worn shoes, an object handed down by family members. Other objects gain meaning by how they are made. When making a piece for a specific client, it gives meaning to us to think of the person for whom we are making the piece. I also believe and hope that, when looking at a piece of studio furniture, a viewer can sense the attention and heart put into the design and the steps along the way of making of a piece of furniture.

NWFW-Besides woodworking, how do you like to spend your time away from the studio?

Judith- We have always loved hiking and skiing.  As we just attended the graduation of our boy from high school, we have been collecting non-woodworking activities for an empty nest strategy. We have been trying out (with great enthusiasm) bad tennis, equally bad cello playing and tutoring in the nearby elementary school.

NWFW-Do you have any advice, especially for women, about how to get into a career of furniture making and woodworking?

Judith- First and foremost, you have to have an abiding passion for woodworking. Second you need to be not too wedded to an expensive lifestyle. I am more often driven by the desire to achieve a satisfying resolution of design than to efficiency of process. Attending a conference of the Furniture Society would be a great way to learn about galleries, techniques, artists in the field and the various woodworking schools and classes available around the country.

Judith Ames has been a member of Northwest Fine Woodworking since 1987.