Weekly Gallery Tour- "Branching Out: Works in Wood from NC" featuring Paul & Kim Fuelling
This week's gallery tour features Paul & Kim Fuelling, a husband and wife team who work in fine woodworking and oil painting. They met at John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, where they studied fine art. The couple moved to Boone, NC in 1999 and settled in the Mabel area in 2004. They purchased a humble block building and renovated the industrial structure into a living area and studio space they call Mabel Studios.
In 2010, Paul successfully established his own custom woodworking business. Three years later, Kim began working and collaborating with Paul. Together, they construct a unique, custom built line of furniture, doors, and paintings with an acute attention to detail and craftsmanship. Their aesthetic can be described as rustic with a modern approach to material use and design.
"Integrity inspires the work we do with wood and paint. We work hard to create objects of lasting value. We set and maintain standards of our craft. We recognize our disciplines history and hope to add to its momentum. Value the struggle, resolve its demands, let go of its failures."
- Paul & Kim Fuelling
You can see more of Paul and Kim's work at MabelStudios.com
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A Bit of History: Early Furniture History in North Carolina
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, settlers brought with them skills in furniture making and inspiration for design from New England, the British Isles, and parts of Europe. People who came here from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and Africa all contributed to styles of furniture that would eventually be recognized as North Carolinian. Immigrants planted themselves across the state, from the east coast to the western mountain range, spreading their influences in design.
Furniture was often made of wood native to the state, including walnut, cherry, cypress, oak, yellow pine, and poplar. Moravians and Quakers in the Piedmont created furniture that placed function ahead of design, but makers along the coastal region soon embraced a more artisan approach. Decorative qualities were slowly introduced over time.
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Visit the Branching Out exhibition page here
Image Credit: Paul & Kim Fuelling. Bench (Reverence for George Nakashima, detail), 2018. Ebonized cherry, cherry, maple, polyurethane. Courtesy of the artists.