The FULL Cowboys & Indians Magazine Interview

We are preparing to leave this Texas Heat for Jackson Hole and the Western Design Conference in the next 10 days to show Lou's mesquite furniture. We are also anxiously awaiting the publication of the next issue of Cowboys & Indians Magazine. We have been told it will have Nolan Ryan on the cover. We have also been told it will feature 10-12 Woodworkers/Furniture Makers. We were quite surprised when they called us and asked for an interview. Why us? We thought to ourselves. Lou can still barely believe it and probably won't until he actually sees it in print. We are honored and blessed to be listed alongside many of these folks that we respect, admire and are considered some of the Best in the West in a Magazine that we consider the Gold Standard in Western Design. All of the Folks at Cowboys & Indians Magazine that we spoke with are Courteous, Professional and above all KIND. We thought you might like to read the interview questions and Lou's answers in their entirety. We have no idea what info made the cut or even how visible the article will be so for those interested here is the Full Interview Q&A from Cowboys and Indians Magazine:

C&I* One of your signature design elements is the deep curves you put into your furniture. What was your inspiration for the look?
The female form first and foremost, I just love the curves of a woman. My wife considers each new piece my girlfriend of the moment and says she feels crazy for being jealous of a table. While most mesquite furniture makers look for good straight, solid pieces of wood we seek out the mesquite wood with the unusual curves and character. The tree's spirit eventually dictates how the wood will be used and its natural curves are carefully matched to create the curved base.

C&I* How long on average does it take you to do an average piece?
Some pieces go from tree to table and therefore require very extended lead time, fortunately we have patrons that are willing to wait. We even have one client that got impatient with their home builder so they built another home but waited several months for their pieces because they did not want to rush the art. Once we have the mesquite dried and ready to go and the design approved by the client, it typically takes 10-12 weeks. Of course that also really depends on how full the schedule is at the time.

C&I* What are some of your most popular pieces?
Entry tables and over sized coffee tables seem to be the most popular.
Our clients tend to build a room around their over sized coffee table pieces. If they have been involved in the tree to table process they have photos throughout the process and the table becomes a conversation piece as well. They feel especially connected to their piece because they were involved every step of the way. They are like proud parents, you just can't get that feeling with a piece of massed produced furniture you pick out of a store or catalog.

C&I* How has photography influenced your art as a furniture maker?
Both photography and furniture making are very visual arts. My background in photography helps me visualize the piece in advance. Before I start I can pretty much see what that piece will look like upon completion. I used to build elaborate sets for my commercial photography clients so that made it one step easier to transition to furniture building. I've been constructing and building all my life but now I am making the pieces that I want to make in my own design style and that is really the best form of satisfaction. Lou Quallenberg

8/29/09 WOW!! We Just saw the article and all we can say is we are so blessed, honored and blown away.
Read the article online: HERE

Thank You Cowboys & Indians and especially Rebecca Sherman.