Fred Hean
I have always been drawn to designing and building things, and followed that interest in some of my educational occupational endeavors. As a young adult I encountered the gorgeous craftsmanship of James Krenov, and saw the inherent beauty in wood as never before. From this was born my interest in fine woodworking and learning the behavior of wood as a material. I've never had formal training in the field, but have had decades of practice and varied learning opportunities, which continue to this day when I am asked to make something I've not done before. My first shop opened in 1980, from which I still have the sign I carved in walnut. But carving is an infrequent activity for me; primarily I am creating larger surface areas with planks and joinery and a fine finish. Most of the hard work is done by power tools, while hand tools have their unique applications. The style of my work is largely contemporary, as opposed to traditional, seeking to display some of the gorgeous attributes of natural wood whenever possible with less ornamentation.
Studio 8
North cluster
(434) 962-3918
