Selftaught
carpenter & sculptress Danette Sperry born 1962
DANETTE
SELF TAUGHT WOOD
ARTIST BUILDS HARVEST TABLES/FARM TABLES,
KITCHEN ISLANDS &
MORE CUSTOM, SHE
LIVES IN AN
OLD FARM HOUSE IN MAYSVILLE GA.
WITH HER HUSBAND JOHN A FOLK ARTISTS ,THERE 3 DOGS AND CAT, WHERE
THEY CREATE & APPRECIATE
A SIMPLER WAY OF LIFE.
DANETTE’S
WORK SHOP AND JOHNS GALLERY IS BEHIND THE FARM HOUSE.
VISITORS WELCOME
HERE IS PART OF MY STORY
SHE
GREW UP AROUND ANTIQUES WHILE VISITING HER GRANDPARENTS AND ALSO AT HER
CHILDHOOD HOME MOM & DAD COLLECTED & OLD FARM HOUSES IN
THE AREA AND HER FATHER
&
MR WHITFORD A COLLECTOR ALSO BUILT HER CHILDHOOD HOME FROM RECLAIMED
OLD BEAMS,
FLOORING,
BRICKS, ROCK YOU NAME IT & IT HAS BECOME A HOUSE OF CHARACTER.
ALL OF US
REMEMBER THOSE THINGS WITH CHARACTER THEY SPEAK TO US AND GIVE US
A GOOD
FEELING AND COMFORT. THAT’S WHAT SHE WANTS TO PASS ON IN HER FURNITURE.
YEARS
AGO SHE WAS SELLING ORIGINAL COUNTRY PRIMITIVE ANTIQUES & WORKING
REPAIRS
WITH PRIMITIVE
ANTIQUES AND SELLING THEM FOR YEARS AND ON THE ROAD WAY TO MUCH
AND
GETTING TIRED WANTING TO BE HOME, ALSO FINDING THAT COST HAD GONE UP
BUT NOT
RESALE VALUE SINCE THE AMERICAN COUNTRY PIECES WERE GETTING HARDER TO
FIND
AND SHE WAS JUST ROLLING MONEY SO TO SPEAK.
SO IN YEARS OF
BUYING SHE SAW HOW PIECES
WERE
MADE & FOUND PLACES TO BUY WOOD FOR REPAIRS IN ALL THOSE YEARS ,
AND FROM
TIME TO TIME
MADE HER OWN PIECES WHICH DID WELL SO HER HUSBAND SAID TO HER WHY DONT
YOU
TAKE A FEW MONTHS OFF AND BUILD ENOUGH FOR A SHOW, AND SEE HOW YOU DO
WITH
YOUR
WORK!
WORKING
WITH PRIMITIVE ANTIQUES AND SELLING THEM FOR YEARS SHE FOUND
THAT THE
FAMILY
FARM TABLE WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST TO FIND AT LEAST FOR FUNCTION
MOST WERE
DAMAGED
AT THE LEGS OR VERY RICKEDY OR TO SMALL OR SHORT TO SIT UNDER, SO
SHE BEGAN TO BUILD
HARVEST TABLES/FARM TABLES TO FIT IN WITH HER PRIMITIVE ANTIQUES
AT HER
SHOWS
AND
WHEN SHE WAS SEEING
HOW WELL SHE DID WITH THEM & RECEIVED SO MANY
COMPLIMENTS
SHE
DECIDED THIS WAS WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO CREATE!
AND HERE SHE
IS YEARS LATER STILL CREATING HER OWN PIECES AN LOVEING THAT
OLD WOOD IT CAN TELL A GRAND STORY WITH CHARACTER & AGE!!!!!
IT’S A GREAT FEELING TO MAKE A
PIECE FROM
THAT GREAT OLD WOOD AND HAVE SOMEONE LOVE WHAT YOU
DO & HAVE IT IN THERE
HOME IT'S LIKE HAVING LITTLE
PIECES OF YOU THAT WILL LIVE ON FOREVER
THATS THE
ARTIST IN HER TALKING NOW!
DANETTE
SELECTS THE WOOD & BUILDS EACH TABLE ACCORDING TO YOUR WISHES TO
MAKE
YOU
A HARVEST TABLE OR FARM TABLE TO BE PROUD OF FOR YOU TO ENJOY WITH
FAMILY &
FRIENDS
FOR YEARS TO COME.
DANETTE’S STARTED MAKING TABLES FULL TIME ABOUT 8 YEARS
AGO FROM VINTAGE MATERIALS.
SHE MOSTLY USES 1700’S-1800’S EASTERN WHITE
PINE. THE BOARDS ARE OLD GROWTH WORN SMOOTH
FLOORING FROM OLD
STRUCTURES RECLAIMED.
