Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charles Martone. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Charles thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

The pandemic hit, and suddenly like most I found myself at home with time…. Time that I could fully devote to art and woodworking. For as long as I could remember I have poured my life into my chiropractic carreer to be available to serve and now suddenly I am creating in the garage. Painting, framing, furniture and sculptures have become my new passions. Each one frees me from the other as I encounter frustration and problems when they present. It’s a constant cycle of thoughts and problem solving to try to create the image that I’ve first sketched on paper.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I love all things wood. I’m in love with the creative process woodworking requires… all the tools and every step of the equation that is required to master and perfect and then problem solving how to break the rules to make something unique. Framing paintings and furniture construction both require such specific measurements where as my sculptures and paintings are able to free me from the rules a bit more, allowing me to be satisfied with different aspects of creation. There can be a lot of frustration and failures at times with different concepts that I’m attempting so it’s nice to bounce back and forth with different mediums to stay fresh from getting stuck. I usually have 3 to 4 different projects going on at the same time, this way it enables me to step back from something without rushing ahead on a decision that I may not be able to undo. I often will take several photos so that way I can study them inside away from the shop, and see something that I might have missed. Things always seem to look different in photos in comparison to what my real time eyes are able to pick up. Woodworking offers me a very tactile art, that I am able to experiment with new textures, different grains, and rough/smooth contrasts. Being able to create a piece with my hands, hold it and feel its weight and texture is an extremely satisfying process. Meticulously worshiping the wood and joinery can be an amazing sensory experience.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

First, I want to be in love with the whole process… I want to enjoy all the necessary steps of the equation to create the final product, then when I finally complete a piece and I am able see the entire concept take its full dimensional shape, I feel peace. I think about the decisions it took to arrive at the end and what I could have changed or improved on. When I’m able to problem solve the issues that arose I’m just able to feel so much peace and rest until I’m able to start the next project ha!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I always hear the saying that things should be easy if they are meant to happen. But what about the things that are difficult to achieve? And how much more hard work is necessary until you get what you want? Much of woodworking is like this for me… some steps take an enormous amount of preparation, like an entire day or multiple days to perfectly make a jig that will allow for a single cut or step and incredibly tedious moments seem ridiculous to focus on at times. But that’s just it, all it is, is problem solving…. I learn to slow down, get a good posture that I can sustain with the repetition of a movement, use my breath and meditate on what I’m doing. I’m doing it for peace right? So the process needs to be correct… I need to love the process…. There’s so many stages to each project, the sketches, wood selection, cutting, joinery techniques, sanding/finishing etc…. If there’s a step that I don’t like or appreciate or a type of cut that just is so stressful then I really try to alter that step and change my technique and the tools I’ll use. Usually I was avoiding other methods because they took longer or seemed tedious but now I’m learning that it really makes the project more enjoyable in the long run and I can get more out of the entire process.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @charlesgeorgedesigns