Rodney Hayward
Fine wood work is a total immersion pursuit which I suppose could be accurately described as a ‘calling’ ... a concept that is rarely mentioned today although it fits well as a description. For me the creative act of making or of gaining understanding is, at best, a sublime experience.

My early shaping included growing up alone and fairly isolated. I had to be the source of my own stimulation and amusement. I developed as a bookish, nerdy, inward kind of a kid. I read, I whittled things from wood, built models of all kinds and I dabbled in the science of my mother’s laundry.

It is perhaps not surprising that by temperament and innate capacity, synthetic organic chemistry first laid claim to me. This is probably the most artisan of all the sciences. An element of creativity I bring to fine woodwork from this abandoned scientific life, is the love of investigation: the love of the process of insight into the subtleties of structure and design. Consequently, I have written much on wood and its relationship with design.

Good design in wood is more than using its intrinsic qualities — it is about seeking structures that are tough yet delicate like the tracery of construction in the trees from whence the wood came. Wood is a sustainable composite polymer. Yet, wood is also the skeleton of a life. When I work I try not to lose sight of the tree.

Ian Guthridge
Ian trained as a sculptor taking his ASTC Diploma in 1978. This was followed by postgraduate studies at the Victorian College of the Arts. His long-term interests in industrial and graphic design , and broadly based technical skills led him to study his BA and MA (Visual Arts) under George Ingham in the ANU School of Art Wood Workshop. He has exhibited widely throughout Australia and has undertaken commissions for the National Gallery of Australia and numerous private collections.

Ian has taught at the ANU School of Art for ten years, lecturing in Drawing and 3D design as well as teaching within the Wood Workshop. He has also taught at the Tasmanian Institute of Technology. Ian has curated a number of exhibitions including Arbor Novella, Conviviality, and ex hedras. He is currently involved in a collaborative project with the Queensland Forestry Research Institute, undertaking research into the design potential of north-eastern hardwoods.