There is a twin to this cabinet that utilized the blue insect damaged portions of the wide boards. I decided to make both cabinets at the same time using the dimensions of the commissioned one for both. The inside measures 24"h x 20"w x 19"d and was sized to accommodate a small TV and DVD player. Early in the building of this cabinet I knew I wanted to do some carving on the panels and thought that ebonizing the rails and stiles might frame the carving nicely. I had no idea what the carving would be until one morning when I woke up and knew it was supposed to be "hands". The hammered texture on the ebonized rails and stiles seemed like a logical extension of the carving, and a way to invite the viewer to touch the cabinet. The other cabinet is 34" tall, but this one seemed to want to be more human in scale. The Purple Heart seemed like a good choice to use for the legs because it goes so well with the ebonized cabinet. The Purple Heart came from the scrap pile at San Jose State University after they built some picnic tables out of it.
Like much of my work this cabinet is a composition of subtle complex details that when viewed as a whole combine to form a deceptively simple looking work; the four carved sides are slightly convex, the panel raising detail is all done by hand with a gouge, the slightly tapered stretchers on the legs have a double "s" curve, the mortise and tenon joint where the streatrchers join the leg has a radius (reminiscent of the Danish modern work from the 1950's). All joinery on the carcass, inner frames, and doors is accomplished by bridal joints. The finish is a combination of plain and tinted tung oil on the panels, analine dye and tung oil on the rails and stiles, and lacquer on the Purple Heart.
© Robin Corell 2005