In spite of the nor’easter that brought well over an inch of rain to Talbot County on Saturday, hundreds of people drove out to Wittman for WOOD, an event sponsored by McMartin and Beggins furniture makers. By locals and for locals, this celebration of wood arts and food cooked, baked and smoked with wood – was a first annual, unique event.
Twelve artisans offered live demonstrations of wood arts ranging from modeling to handmade guitar making, woodcut printmaking, joinery, turning and carving. St. Michaels Winery’s “Oakey-dokey Chardonnay” was a hit, and local beers from the Eastern Shore Brewing and Evolution Craft were on hand. With net proceeds benefitting Talbot Humane, this event is sure to become an annual local favorite.
McMartin and Beggins’ 9,000-square-foot complex was the perfect setting for the cold and rainy afternoon, people milled about, and had ample opportunity to watch the live demonstrations and ask questions. Jay Brown and Kentavius Jones played Steve Fegan’s handmade guitars, as Steve showed people how guitars are crafted from the inside out. Jim Beggins had a crowd around his workbench all afternoon as he demonstrated joinery and inlay techniques, and Jim McMartin was covered in tiny bright orange wood chips as he turned a beautiful piece of osage orange wood.
Other artisans included Howard and Carol Hughes with peppermills made on their Legacy lathe, Winslow Womack, who carved a sign for the skipjack Rosie Parks, being rebuilt at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and Wayne Wheeler with magnificent decoys and carved birds. Furniture-maker David Robinson charmed guests with his easy smile and cabriole leg carvings, and Jim Wortman, ship and rail modeler, showed how ships are created inside of bottles.
Perhaps the most inventive wood art on display was the table of folk carvings by Eric Applegarth, Exhibits Specialist at CBMM. Ranging from a giant man’s face to tiny figures, boats and alligators, Eric has been carving wood for most of his life. He claims that carving offers him a meditative experience – a creative outlet that’s not attached to his work at the Museum. Also from the Museum, Dan Sutherland, Boatyard Program Manager, brought wooden boats for display.
Visitors bent their heads low as paper was slowly peeled off chunky woodcut blocks. Jim McMartin’s father, Phillip, was an Annapolis artist, and local Master Printer Kevin Garber demonstrated hand printing techniques using 12 woodcuts that Phillip McMartin made in the 1960s. The woodcuts, striking images of watermen, boats and Annapolis street scenes, were hand printed in black ink. McMartin said, “It’s terrific to see my father’s woodcuts being brought back to life,” as Garber hung a wet print on the wall.
The rain didn’t stop John Scudder from operating his sawmill in the backyard, and visitors watched cedar and catalpa logs turn into lumber before their eyes. Mary Kay Tarpy greeted visitors at the door and Marc Stockley kept the fires stoked throughout the afternoon.
The food tent was a fun place to hang out and watch as breads, greens, fish and eel were tossed on and off a hot, wood grill throughout the afternoon. Guests nibbled on tasty samples of grilled flatbreads, hot fish and oyster stew. Carol Bean, of Pot Pie Farm, who operates a Community Supported Agriculture and Fishery, grilled rockfish, eel and catfish over a wood fire. Elizabeth Beggins grilled radicchio, fennel, and escarole, and with Carol, served them wrapped them in tortillas with hot fish. Johnny Oyster Seed brought oyster stew made with King Solomon Oysters, fresh from his aquaculture farm on the Patuxent River. And of course, no local event is complete without Sal Simoncini at the bar – Sal donated his time and the $81 he made in tips to Talbot Humane.
The classic fine furniture of McMartin and Beggins completed the event, with a showroom full of federal style furniture designed and made at the shop in Wittman. Patty Quimby, Executive Director of Talbot Humane, was overheard saying that she had no idea what to expect, but was delighted at the turnout and the support that McMartin and Beggins offered her organization. McMartin and Beggins expect to repeat this event, and will celebrate autumn on the Eastern Shore again next year.
Spy Photos by William Wilhelm
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[…] WOOD, the event sponsored by McMartin and Beggins furniture makers this weekend was absolutely a smashing success. Twelve different artisans exhibited their wood arts and demonstrated techniques. Carol Bean, Elizabeth Beggins and Marc Stockley tossed bitter greens, rockfish, catfish and eel on and off a hot fire all afternoon and served up tastes of flatbreads, tortillas and hot fish and oyster stew. Benefitting Talbot Humane, this event is sure to become an annual local autumn favorite. I could say more here, but instead, click on over to the Talbot Spy and read my article about it there – https://talbotspy.com/wood-warms-the-crowd-in-wittman/ […]