There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.

A crack with Lou Quallenberg's Signature Bow Tie letting the light in on the mesquite project The Dancing Trees.

Perhaps from the title you have figured out that this post is about the cracks and crevices often found in mesquite and featured prominently in Lou Quallenberg's work.   It is also an homage to Leonard Cohen's lyrics "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."  Mr. Cohen was born on the 21st of  September in 1934 so it makes sense to feature him in our end of September Blog post and wish him a very Happy Birthday!   He will be playing  at Bass Concert Hall in Austin, TX on Wednesday, October 31, 2012, and Thursday, November 1, 2012,  at 8:00 pm (sure wish we could find a few tickets and hear him in person!) Be sure to check out the lyrics and video below.....

At the mill discovering cracks

Checking the cracks in the mesquite

What is it about cracked or broken things that seem to pull at our heartstrings?  Is it that we know a heart unbroken can never feel true love? Must one experience the darkness before they can truly know the light? Must things crack or break before the light can overtake the darkness? 

We have assembled a selection of photos of Lou's work that shows off the cracks and crevices so characteristic of mesquite.  Since Lou Quallenberg only uses mesquite it is only natural that his mesquite furniture projects will have cracks.  Each crack is a challenge and depending on the crack and the client's taste can be handled in several different ways. We will briefly touch on each.

A "Standard" bow tie prior to Lou's signature bow tie design

 BOW TIES

Lou's Signature bow tie was developed because he saw that he would need to regularly use wood bow ties in his projects and the standard bow tie was well, while functional, "standard." His stylized signature Bow Tie features the curves he loves so much.  We have had clients request a bow tie even if it was not structurally needed because it is almost like a signature, brand or label and it is beautiful to look at.

Lou Quallenberg's Signature Bow Tie

Once Lou's Quallenberg's signature bow ties began showing up in National Furniture and Art Shows we started to see other versions of original bow ties begin to develop and expand.   It's almost like permission was given to create your own.

Mesquite Lectern with large crack

Speaking of shows don't forget:
The Texas Mesquite Association
Annual Mesquite Art Festival
in  Fredericksburg, Texas
October 12th-14th 2012
and
The Texas Furniture Makers Show
November 8th-December 8th, 2012
in Kerrville, Texas.
(We sure hope Lou will have a piece finished in time!)

Spline in the mesquite table top to stabilize the crack

SPLINES

The mesquite spline is added to the edge of a piece the stabilize the cracks a bit more securely than the bow tie giving both internal strength as well as contrast in color for a design accent.

Man made curved "cracks"

MAN MADE  Cracks/Curves

Sometimes man made cracks are added to the Lou Quallenberg's designs. These are usually created in the curved mesquite laminates that Lou uses in his pieces bases to match the natural curves of a slabbed tops.

 TURQUOISE INLAY

Inlaid turquoise is an option that some of our clients chose over the black epoxy cracks.   Lou is very particular about choosing each piece of jewelry quality turquoise with a pair of tweezers and placing it in its perfect spot along the crack or crevice.  It is very time consuming but the devil is in the details and this is one area where his work stands out because he will not compromise. Lou limits the use of turquoise inlay to an artistic sprinkling on only select cracks and crevices. A coat of clear epoxy is added to hold the turquoise in place while allowing it to remain beautifully visible. The end result is a strengthened and beautifully filled crack that is not over done.

Turquoise inlaid in Mesquite

 BLACK EPOXY

Even legs get a spot of a Turquoise

For those clients that do not like the look of turquoise with the mesquite,  the cracks and crevices are filled with a black fresco filled epoxy.  It defines the line and serves as a glue to hold the piece together.

Turquoise inlaid table leg

Mesquite Mirror with Turquoise Inlay

Turquoise inlaid Mesquite Box

Another "Crack" of inspiration comes from one of our favorite singer songwriters Calvin Russell  (who is gone but not forgotten) especially his  song "A Crack in Time" the lyrics are pure poetry:

I came down the line 
Through a crack in time
Slipped between two seconds in the night
From the shadows I sprang
Someone screamed my name
And I headed for the morning light.

Some but not all cracks get a sprinkle of turquoise inlay

Cracks and light they just seem to go together  naturally  in nature, song and poetry. You won't find any better cracks than the ones in mesquite wood. Lou Quallenberg sure has an eye for finding the real beauties. The ones that would have otherwise ended up as someone's fire wood but now grace elegant homes and galleries with their unique allure. 

A cracked mesquite shelf

A hole in mesquite

A crack in the mesquite slab table top

Panel with a black epoxy filled crack.

Sculpted cracked mesquite shelf.

Cracks and holes in mesquite slab table top.

Dancing Trees in the shop letting the light in

DANCING TREES  
Lou's perfect example of "cracks" that let the light shine in.
you can read more about Lou Quallenberg's Dancing Trees 
here: http://www.louqart.com/Dancing_Trees.html

The Dancing Trees and Lectern full of cracks for light to get in.

 

I'm always inspired by this quote by artist Robert Smithson “A crack in the wall, if viewed in terms of scale, not size, could be called the Grand Canyon.  Size determines an object, but scale determines art.” 

The Grand Canyon a LARGE Crack!

We are currently planning a trip to see the Grand Canyon since Lou has not yet seen it in person.  I can't wait to see the influence and inspiration that this gigantic crack in the earth produces in Lou's work......

Now please enjoy a little Leonard Cohen:

There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

The birds they sang at the break of day
"Start again", I heard them say
Don't dwell on what has passed away
Or what is yet to be

Ah, the wars they will be fought again
The holy dove, she will be caught again
Bought and sold and bought again
The dove is never free

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

We asked for signs, the signs were sent
The birth betrayed, the marriage spent
Yeah, the widowhood of every government
Signs for all to see

I can't run no more with that lawless crowd
While the killers in high places say their prayers out loud
But they've summoned, they've summoned up a thundercloud
And they're going to hear from me

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

You can add up the parts, you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march, there is no drum
Every heart, every heart to love will come
But like a refugee

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

That's how the light gets in

That's how the light gets in

Two Sisters from one AMAZING Tree

That is one big Mesquite Tree!

Lou Quallenberg was quietly approached by an unassuming man at the 2006 Texas Mesquite Show in San Angelo, Texas. The man said he had a large mesquite tree that he needed removed from his yard. “Large Mesquite Tree” is a phrase that will create lots of interest at a place like the Texas Mesquite Show. Lou had been in the business long enough now though, that he knew one man’s version of a large mesquite tree was not necessarily what he himself considered a large tree. Expecting to be disappointed he took the man’s information and promised to drive by after the show and take a look.

Upon arrival at the given address Lou and his crew knew immediately that this tree was something special. It was indeed a large tree and even more important she looked to be full of beauty and spirit. “Looked to be” being the key phrase, because the favorite saying at Lou Quallenberg Studios is “Mesquite trees are like a box of chocolates, you just don’t know what your gonna get.” This popular saying had earned it’s place time after time with both disappointment and delight. This time Lou just "KNEW". (See Lou Quallenberg's Dancing Trees.) 

Lou Quallenberg & Steve Walker: BIG mesquite Log.

While the tree spoke to them of promise she also revealed that she was a very complicated woman. She was not going to be easy to take. She was firmly planted on the side yard next to the house with large looming, branches dangerously close to the home. To make the complications worse she was 150 miles from the shop, home and the many extra hands it would take to pull her free.

Two months later armed with chain saws, three trailers, six men and a local tree removal service, Lou was on his way to bringing this special gift home. It took all day and all hands working together swiftly to get her loaded on the trailers and safely on her way to Llano. Many thanks go out to Steve Walker, Shawn Walker, Terry Martin, Karl Rhodes and Bill Gleason for their help in safely releasing this beauty from the ground.

Once in Llano the next challenge was to open her up and see what treasures she actually held. This was a particularly difficult challenge since her main trunk was 38” in diameter with an s curve of about 46” and Lou wanted to keep her whole if possible. This required a saw with at least a 48”opening. None of the Mills in Central Texas were large enough to handle a tree of this size. Lou was patient and determined and finally a month later, convinced a man in South Texas to attempt to open her up. This required another road trip this time 270 miles up and back. She was really putting on the miles but many more were still to come on this journey.

She was a big gal 12 ft long , weighing in at 3500 lbs, the mill foreman had difficulty unloading her with the hi -lo and at one point his wheels came off the ground. It took a full three hours to open her up and cut her into the desired slabs. Once she was opened up Lou had his answer, she was a box of Godiva Chocolate. The trip home was full of joy, he knew he had something special in that trailer rumbling behind him.

The next part of her journey involved a trip of 30 miles to the kiln for drying. The drying of mesquite is a very important step in the process. Mesquite has several beetles and bug pests that must be eradicated and if the wood is not dried properly it is susceptible to cracking and those little bugs will leave their telltale sign of fine sawdust ruining all of your hard work. This little spa vacation lasted a good 12 weeks and then she was ready for her trip back home. It was as she was being placed into position for air drying that Lou spotted the two book matched sisters and knew that they were both to be created into coffee tables.

With a tight schedule Lou worked his new girlfriends in, hoping to have at least one ready for the September Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. While the table tops were inspired by nature and Lou was really just bringing out the character and soul of each piece, the bases were intricately created to match the curves of each top. The bases are sleek curves of laminated mesquite, a signature of Lou‘s pieces. Each curve created specifically to match the individual curves of each top. The natural slab tops float above the curved bases on steel pins giving the pieces a natural but also unique contemporary look. 

 

The signature laminated curves are created by slicing mesquite planks into 1/8^th of an inch pieces on the band saw and then they are stacked together, glued with epoxy and placed into handmade wooden jigs. Once in the jig they are clamped in place and remain clamped for at least 48 hours. Each curve usually requires it’s own special jig. The “Sisters” each required 3 jigs per table.

“Jackson” the more solid sister was bejeweled with inlaid accents of turquoise in some of the cracks and crevices that are characteristic of mesquite. “Sister” had more holes and sculptural aesthetic and since potential customers are always saying “Oh I love that piece I just wish it did/didn’t have turquoise in it” the decision was made not to add turquoise to “Sister” and to fill the spots with a black fresco epoxy instead.

After months of sculpting, shaping and sanding, the three week finish: a combination of sanding, oil and wax was lovingly applied. Both pieces were ready and the decision was made to take them both on the 1400 mile journey to Jackson Hole, Wyoming in hopes that they could both be shown together if space was available. Fortunately the space was found and the Sisters made their debut together that September at the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming .

The trip 2800 miles up and back added a few more miles to the two sister’s journey. Seeing them together in Jackson Hole displayed in an almost yin yang arrangement caused Lou to request that the tables both be put together at the 9^th Annual Texas Furniture Makers Show in Kerrville, Texas. Jim Derby the Show Director at the time, agreed that they did look good together in that yin yang and found space for them to both be shown together in the show.

“Sister” won their category “Texas Style Furniture” at the 9^th Annual Texas Furniture Makers Show in December. Making it the first of a three years in a row winning streak, that Lou Quallenberg won the Best Texas Style category.    A well deserved ending to a journey from tree to table.

Crated and ready to go to the UK

Crate arrives in UK

But that was not to be the final journey these two sisters would make. Because across the pond a new company was forming with a desire to promote mesquite around the world. This company formed in the United Kingdom was named: The Mesquite Company. They had been watching Lou's work in mesquite and had planned to visit Texas and the Texas Mesquite Art Festival in Fredericksburg hoping to find him and make contact and do business. They wanted to show his work in the UK and represent him in Europe as they introduced mesquite and mesquite flour to Europe.

An agreement was made with The Mesquite Company and Lou decided to send not one but both Sisters on this incredible journey over seas. As in the past he could not bear to separate them.  They are after all "sisters".

As fate would have it this adventure did not end with shows and accolades or even a sale. Due to an illness in the family, the owners of The Mesquite Company ended up back in Texas for an undetermined and extended stay. Therefore ending the promotion before it had a chance to take flight and get off the ground. A round trip of close to 10,000 miles is now being added to the travel tally of these mesquite beauties.

So as the US Olympic Team returns back to the US from London this month, so do these two amazing sisters. While some of the US Olympic athletes return with medals, MOST do not, but are grateful for the journey, the opportunity and the experience. That is how we feel about these two mesquite beauties. Their story remains to be told with the ending still unwritten.

Making an Entrance: Mesquite Entry Table

Live Edge Mesquite Entry Table with Turquoise Inlay by Lou Quallenberg more at: www.LouQart.com

After looking into our delivery options: Fredericksburg Shipping and Custom Delivery Service (both companies are really great at what they do!) we delivered this latest piece to Houston ourselves. Lou did not want to take the time off to run to Houston but he likes seeing where his babies will reside and getting a little taste of city life.  I'm up for travel anytime I can get him out of the shop!  

Slab for Mesquite Table Top

Slab Top on old style legs

This commissioned mesquite entry table was ordered as an anniversary gift for the clients. I think she mentioned that it was this table or a trip to Hawaii.  WOW! Now that is a compliment. They contacted us while they were visiting Fredericksburg.  They had seen Lou's work on the internet and wanted to see it in person and meet him.  We were low on mesquite inventory at the time so I did not think he would have much to show them but I told them to come on to Llano and we could show them some of his work, the shop and get an idea of what they were looking for.  I did not know that Lou had squirreled away a special slab of mesquite for an entry table.  He does this sometimes with special pieces and then he has to make sure the client is worthy of the slab or slabs in the case of the Dancing Trees.  These two clients  were VERY special and he showed them the mesquite slab right away.  It fit their length and width requirements and practically sold itself.  We even had several new clients that wanted to buy the slab away from them once Lou had started the table.

They left the shop that day knowing they would have a sculpted, live edge, mesquite, entry table made by Lou Quallenberg for their anniversary. They also knew that due to the schedule it would not be finished until several months after their anniversary - but that it would probably be worth waiting for.

Sketch of Mesquite Entry Table

The sketch was emailed later that week and Lou began working it into the already full schedule.  He was excited to get it started because he wanted to use the new more curved leg design. The clients had agreed to use the new design for the legs.

New Leg Design Pattern

New Leg taped out & ready to cut

New Leg Design Pattern

Lou made a pattern of the new leg to be sure he liked the curve and shape of the new design. Then he taped it out and then cut the legs from sturdy chunks.  I always think he is crazy when he goes changing up the design style but he seems to know what he is doing because it never fails, I always prefer the new style of whatever he does.

Slab Mesquite Table Top and Base Curves

New Legs put together

New Legs and Front Curve

Next its all pieces and parts kind of like a large 3D puzzle. It is always exciting to see it go together for the first time and to finally stand on its own four legs!  The laminated compound curved stretchers are usually the last part to be made. Each one is carefully created custom to the curve of the slab top.  While this curve is a distinctive design element in his work it does actually serve a purpose.  Lou's work is stable it does not wobble.  This curve and the base curves provide an added measure of strength to the tables.  The l/8th inch laminated pieces of mesquite once glued up are actually stronger than a piece of  uncut mesquite of the same size. 

Ready for some turquoise

It stands on its own

Matching curves in need of final stretcher

Adding the turquoise is the final step before the labor intensive two week hand rubbed oil finish.  The turquoise inlay process is not a rushed step. Careful thought is put into adding just the right touch of turquoise.  Each tiny piece of gem quality turquoise is added to the epoxied crack by hand with a pair of tweezers.  Lou looks at the placement as an art form in itself and you can see the difference in his work compared to others.

Mesquite with Turquoise inlay

Turquoise Inlay

We have seen some craftsmen use cheap turquoise powder or even colored aquarium rocks as a filling for the cracks.  Lou Quallenberg takes pride in his work and he treats each piece as a work of art. We abide by the saying: 

"There are no short cuts to anyplace worth going."

Lou Quallenberg and Lou Quallenberg Studios stands for quality and we will not rush a project or compromise on quality. While our materials may cost more and the work may take longer, in the end it is worth it. We hope that the value is evident but there are some folks that just don't "get it." He has a few wood working friends that don't understand why he tortures himself with the compound curves, laminated curves and the extreme sanding and finishing.  They don't understand that he is pouring his heart and soul into the piece and that when he is finished a part of him will be fused forever with the piece in a concept the Japanese call "takumi" (also meaning artisan or hand made.)  These same folks also don't understand why he bothers to finish off the bottom of the piece as completely as the top and they REALLY don't understand how he can charge what he charges for a piece. Again they just don't "get it", but we do and we know our clients and future clients do as well.....

Lou Quallenberg's Live Edge Mesquite Entry Table with Turquoise Inlay

What an ENTRANCE! Mesquite Entry Table with Turquoise Inlay ready for Delivery.

Lou Quallenberg's Finished Mesquite Entry Table with Turquoise Inlay