Paul Hartman was this year’s recipient of the Public’s Choice Award.

It’s an award that is voted on by visitors to the school’s professional course graduation exhibition in Edinburgh.

It’s a real accolade because those visitors are representative of the buying public.

Paul, from Alberta, Canada already had construction and carpentry experience when he came to us last year.

His love of woodworking stems from his time at High School and working in the school’s workshop.

Paul’s decision to come to the school was based on a desire to challenge himself, and learn the craft of designing and making fine furniture.

Divinity

But he could have chosen a different path, having originally studied Divinity at a Canadian seminary.

However, he decided that his faith could best be practiced from outside the church.

We’re glad that he made that decision because he turned out to be a hugely gifted furniture designer and maker.

In particular, he made one of the finest rocking chairs that we’ve seen for some years.

Inspired by the late Sam Maloof whose rockers are in national collections, Paul’s chair had a ‘woven’ back seat.

But it was also an honest piece, reflecting both the complexity and simplicity of good design.

Public

That quality is something that was evident in Paul’s other pieces and the reason, perhaps, why the Edinburgh public liked them so much.

For example, his Elm coffee table decorated with a compass rose, and his Yew hall table, with a frame of rippled Sycamore.

Some furniture designers go a bit overboard and create funky, loud pieces that may only appeal to a very few buyers.

Others stick to the traditional, making quiet furniture that may be well-made but doesn’t have a WOW factor.

Paul steered a middle course between those design approaches, creating softly-spoken pieces that had absolutely no need to shout their quality.

Paul has now returned to his native Alberta and set up his own furniture design business, Dry Tree Construction.

Note: Two places still remain for our professional course that starts next month.  More information here or contact us here.