Hans J Wegner trained as a cabinet-maker before attending the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts, where he later lectured from 1946 to 1953. From 1938 to 1942, he worked as a furniture designer in Arne Jacobsen and Erik Moller´s architectural practice. In 1943, he set up his own office in Gentofte and collaborated with Borge Mogensen in the design of an apartment shown at the 1946 Cabinetmakers´ Exhibition in Copenhagen. Throughout his long career, he has designed furniture extensively for Johannes Hansen and Fritz Hansen. The Royal Society of Arts, London made him an Honorary Royal Designers for Industry in 1959 (source).
 
1. Choose the right material
2. Consider the construction process
3. Use a material where it is best used
4. Take material away where there is no use for it
5. Show how it is made
6. Allow for tolerances
7. Separate the bearing element from the borne
8. Show the logic in construction
9. Joints must not weaken the construction
10. If I can see a small piece of a chair leg, I can recognise it among a hundred others
11. The grain, or natural characteristics of a material, are part of the design
12. Think about the points of contact
13. The user is part of the design
14. A piece of furniture should never have a back
15. Quality costs what it costs
16. Remember what the craftsman knows...

As heard on the Ted Wells "Living Simple" podcast - "Toasting Hans Wegner".

While leading up a small restoration job yesterday, I was startled by a sudden buzzing and a loudish pop. And even more terrified by the smoke coming out the top of the IPCO controller on my wee kiln. The power supply has probably gone (judging by the smoke blackened component bottom centre, above). Ah well...

Now reading: "This book, a philosophically-minded enquiry into practical activity of many different kinds past and present, is about what happens when people try to do a good job."

Hope it's better than Coldplay's "The Scientist". 

Removed a panel from a house in Aberdeen yesterday. I had noticed that one section, which had been repaired previously, was incorrectly oriented. It took Mike to point out a slightly more obvious error - the whole panel had been re-inserted upside down...

Still, it's an unusual Victorian (ca. 1901) panel for Aberdeen, with small, abstract motifs instead of the more usual painted work. The geometric inserts look almost Art Deco.

McKenzie Memorial window, Auchterless Kirk (detail) - Gabi Reith for Morning Glass Designs, 2008

This morning I installed the McKenzie memorial window at Auchterless Kirk. The panel was designed by Gabi Reith for Morning Glass Designs, and includes mouthblown and screenprinted glass. More pictures here.

Despite our best efforts, some aspects of stained glass are decidedly environmentally unfriendly... 

Collie in stable - detail of pencil sketch by Susie Hunt

I am currently working with artist Susie Hunt on a design for Portlethen Church. Yesterday, Susie and I drove down to Portlethen to visit the client and to let Susie see the Kirk. The window is a nativity scene, and the client had a collie he wanted to depict in the window somewhere. The detail above shows a collie gazing at the infant Christ.

I have been going through my photographs, looking for work which might be good to screenprint onto glass. I found a whole series of images of trees which I hope to work into a series of smaller wall pieces... (Click here to see some of the others). 

Every year I moan like crazy that I never have enough time to produce new work for exhibitions like Art Aboyne. And every year, without fail, I start making with three days to go... So this year, even though it seems like months away, I decided to make an early start. Pictured above - enamel colour tests on Spectrum System 96 Clear and White Opal.

Paula, from the Woodend Barn evening class, spent today at the workshop finishing off her first panel. Not bad huh...