Since 1977, I have lived and worked as a wood craftsman out on
the rolling plains of the northeast Texas Panhandle. I have watched as more and
more of the old homesteads on the rolling plains are abandoned and their barns,
corrals, and outbuildings slowly settle to the ground, forgotten.
My desire to preserve some of the fine old structures and their
stories, and my delight in the colors and textures of the weathered wood, barn
tin, and harness hardware prompted me to begin incorporating the castoff
materials into my furniture. From barn roofs to early grain elevators,
archetypal building shapes and details serve as inspirations for designs. I try
to bring humor and a great deal of reverence into the design of the furniture,
and at the same time let the surprising and varied parts go on working¯ and
being enjoyed in a second, recycled life.
By using the salvaged parts of the old windmills, houses, and
barns in a new context, I hope to foster a new way of seeing and appreciating
these overlooked icons. And, by using my years of practical knowledge in design
and the art of furniture making, I seek to create furniture that is a pleasure
to use from day to day and will allow part of the plains legacy to be passed on
to new generations.
Some
History Doug Ricketts grew up in New Mexico surrounded by a rich arts
and crafts tradition. He attended the University of New Mexico, but received his
BFA from Phillips University at Enid, Oklahoma. While working on a degree in
sculpture and ceramics, he worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker.
Doug moved to the Texas Panhandle with his wife, Cathy, in 1977.
They live on land near Lipscomb, Texas that has been passed down from Cathy's
grandfather.
Continuing the tradition of making do with available resources
that his family began when settling on the Llano Estacado of Texas and New
Mexico, Doug crafts quality furniture from salvaged wood and vintage hardware.
Part of the draw of his furniture is the written history that accompanies each
piece. Describing the buildings from which the wood was taken and the people who
lived or worked in them gives the collector a personal link with the piece that,
in effect, becomes a reliquary.
Once
completed, the furniture is sanded, then sealed with a special sealer that
maintains the wood's original color, sanded again, and then waxed and rubbed.
A printed history of the
special wood and hardware accompanies each piece. A metal nameplate with a
serial number further identifies the work.
Delivery throughout the
Southwest is available and shipping to all other parts of the country an option
as well.
See the shop...
•To see a video of the November 15, 2003 Texas
Country Reporter segment on Doug's exhibit,
"Art from the Ruins," please click on his picture
below.
"He was just looking to gather antique wood from a
forgotten farmhouse, but he found so much more."
CLICK on Doug's picture below to see the 11 minute video. It is a 3mb file (3,216,000 bytes), so be patient while it downloads. It will take a long time if you are are not on high speed phone line connections to the Internet. This is an .asf formatted file and you will need Windows Media player or a program that can read that type of file. Also, excuse the quality of the video. We had to reduce it down significantly in order to get it to fit into a decent sized file (as if 3mb is a small file!), which started out at 995mb file once we converted it to an .avi file from the DVD.
•See the article by Barbara Rodriguez, entitled
"Panhandle Perspective,"
about Canadian's Fall Foliage Festival in
the October 2009
Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine.
The Lipscomb Studio Tour (and Doug) are mentioned (link below).
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2009/oct/threedays/
•With the release of Annie Proulx's 2011 book, "Bird Cloud," Doug was reminded first of the projects he completed for her house near Saratoga, Wyoming, in 2006, including a unique set of multi-colored kitchen cabinets and, second, of the experience working with the exceptional local craftsmen, the James Gang. Bird Cloud is the name Proulx gave to her 640 acres of wetlands and prairie with a 400-foot cliff overlooking the North Platte River. The nonfiction book is a memoir of sorts detailing the construction of her house, "a library surrounded by bedrooms and a kitchen," the spectacular natural environs that are a birdwatcher's paradise, the fascinating archaeology of the region once inhabited by the Ute, Arapaho and Shoshone, and Proulx's own family history, dating back to 19th century Mississippi riverboat captains and Canadian settlers. It's a great read...
