Summer 2018: Kailee Blalock

In the summer of 2018 I was granted a scholarship by Rollins College that allowed me to take a course at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. The course I chose was Woodworking Nitty Gritty instructed by Kimberly Winkle, a professor of Art at Tennessee Tech University. Kimberly specializes in woodworking and is known for her use of milk paint on wood. 

I chose the course Woodworking Nitty Gritty because I wanted to challenge myself in  attempting to design and create a functioning table in only five days. I thought this task would be nearly impossible after a previous internship I had where the process of creating a clock took the two of us nearly eight weeks to complete. I was also interested in learning techniques on how to create finishes on wood using different tools. Kimberly Winkle is known for her outlandish wood pieces that have different textures and colors, something I was interested in learning how to utilize in my own work. 

During the course, Kimberly taught us how to create different effects on wood using milk paint, burners, sanding, etc. I was also able to joint and plane wood for the first time as well as learn how to use a variety of tools that I have not had the opportunity to use at Rollins. The highlight of my experience was learning how to use a lathe. I was the only student in the class who took extra time to learn how to use a lathe and in doing so, I created all of my table legs using the lathe. I enjoyed learning how to use the lathe because it allows me to create so many other pieces I would have never been able to make without that knowledge and experience.

My final product is a colorblocked bedside table. The wood Kimberly chose for our class was cherry wood, a wood that will darken with age. Given its natural red brown undertones a chose a yellow milk paint to color block with in order to highlight and contrast the natural wood tones. I chose to color block my table in order to give it a modern effect using a classic material. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in order to create something truly amazing.