Mesquite Media Chest and a Happy New Year!

Wow! The end of the month and end of the year sure came quick! Where does all that time go? We had a really nice Christmas with Family and that is really what it should be all about.

Looking back on it we have had an interesting year. We have added several more talented artists into our friends and family fold, a few of which have been hard hit by the economic situation in this country. We began the year thinking the Economy had not really affected us but as we end the year we are seeing and feeling a few of the effects. Our plans are to weather the storm and stay firm in our belief that when you do what you love the money will come.  I honestly don't know what else we could or would be able to do.

Lou is finishing up the Ross Mesquite Media Chest a commissioned piece that will make it's way to a home in Dallas in the next few weeks.  It is now in the final finishing stage so I don't have any beauty shots of her yet but I will show some photos of the stages and progress. The photos are the type of photos that we share with our clients via email to update them on the progress of their piece.

The piece was designed similar to the Mesquite Night Stands from the Sanders Mesquite Bedroom Set. It is a design that is not based on the curves that are so much a part of Lou's other designs, but it does have the very sculptural live edge and a distinct Lou Quallenberg look.

Speaking of curves our nephew Matthew has found another use for some of Lou's laminated curves. He has found that they make great ramps and tracks for his Matchbox cars.

The client's requested a Signature Bow Tie even though the top did not require one.  They may even end up buying a new TV just to be sure it is visible!!

They also wanted the antler drawer pulls like the ones on the Mesquite Partners Desk.

We think they will be very happy with the final product a Mesquite Media Chest that was designed specifically for them.

Now as for New Years Resolutions I won't bore you with the usual losing weight, making better choices for food and clearing out the clutter. But we will make a resolution to try to include an instructional style video with each blog post next year. That will mean 12 clips on things like turquoise inlay, laminated curves and (well I guess) 10 other similar topics. We will do our best to make that happen. (Hey we actually kept our resolution to do a Blog post every month so it could actually happen.)

From our Home and Shop at Lou Quallenberg Studios to yours we wish you all a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!!  Thank you for reading our blog.

Friends, Family and the Economy "we shall see"

February has come and is quickly going, going gone. Where does all the time slip off to?

This month has been a month focused on finishing up a commissioned project (Mesquite Bedroom Set) and preparing the mesquite wood for another. We are also so pleased to announce our new partnership with Patina in Marble Falls. The Gallery setting that the Stange's provide is artfully arranged with the collections both stylish and upscale. We are very proud to have them represent us in the Highland Lakes Area. We are still represented in Fredericksburg by Artisans at Rocky Hill which in case you did not know has relocated to West Main into a larger space. As always Anne Bradley keeps the space beautiful and ever changing.

A word about the economy? We hear every night on the news the dreadful, dreary outlook on the US economy. We feel so blessed that we continue to have work coming in, a roof over our heads and food on the table. Lou was in the building stages of a new business during the last recession and grew a strong and successful commercial photography business as others were faced with closing their doors. One of his theories is that in these tough times the cream rises to the top. We hope that his talent will once again be a part of that cream. He will continue to produce his designs in mesquite for as long as he can physically work the wood. The key to success is to have a passion and Lou has the passion to learn and use this interesting media known as mesquite. Each new piece he produces becomes a favorite and at times it is difficult to send them on to their new homes. Keep updated on the works of Lou Quallenberg at our website www.LouQart.com

The F in February can stand for Friends & Family as we deal with a few peaks and valleys in the lives of our friends and family. Kind of like the weather this month 80 degrees one day then 40 degrees the next. We watched Joy Quallenberg on television at the Westminster Dog Show as our dear dog friend Goldie passed on. Our concerns for Me Maw as she goes through facial reconstruction were tempered with childhood memories as Matthew pulled his first tooth. We watched as Sharon's job loss was turned into an opportunity to advance. It reminds us of the Chinese Story of the boy who got a horse and the villagers all said "That's Good" and the wise man said "we shall see" then he fell off the horse and broke his arm and the villagers all said "That's Bad" and again the wise man said "we shall see" and then the war came and he was left behind because of his broken arm......