GEYSERLAND GUILD OF WOODWORKERS
Dave Page
Dave is a very active member of the Rotorua club and has a number of woodworking talents. However his marquetry work is his passion.
At the 2015 Kawerau Show he was the guest exhibitor and this gallery shows the work he had on display.
The following paragraphs form a brief history of Dave’s career.
Born in Greymouth I went to school in South Canterbury and later Christchurch. After completing a joinery apprenticeship in the early 1960’s I moved into the timber industry working in sales and administration in Christchurch before joining the Forest Service in Hokitika in 1970. In 1980 we moved to Rotorua where I worked at the Forest Research Institute, now Scion, as a specialist in wood preservation and durability.
Marquetry is an ancient craft initially used for the decoration of wooden items and furniture. I started in the early 1970’s learning mainly from woodworking magazines. This was a natural extension of furniture making which had been one of my hobbies since school. In 1974 I joined the Marquetry Society (Great Britain) (www.marquetry.org) and still find this a major source of information. In the early 1980’s I met one of the few other exponents of this “art” form in New Zealand, Jacob von Holzen of Te Aroha and he has been an inspiration and friend ever since. I have been an active member of the Geyserland Guild of Woodworkers (www.ggw.org.nz) in Rotorua since its beginning in the late 1980’s. My first involvement with the National Woodskills exhibition was about 1991 and from that time I have been a regular demonstrator/exhibitor at Kawerau.
Most of my veneer has been collected over many years in wood industries, much of it offcuts and faulty veneer from slicing and furniture or door making factories. Very little is sliced in New Zealand now, hence many of the native species are no longer available. Veneer can be imported but it is relatively expensive ($10-$50/square metre) I do almost all of my cutting with a fine scalpel, occasionally with a fine fretsaw. It is a relatively slow process (about 10 pieces/hour) with some pictures containing 1000 pieces or more. The veneer is usually only 0.6 mm thick and is glued onto medium density fibreboard (MDF) or plywood using presses before being scraped sanded and finished.
Most of my early work was copies of marquetry pictures from woodworking magazines or designs from the Marquetry Society magazine. This was predominantly pictorial marquetry although I occasionally included marquetry on some of my furniture. Since the 1980’s most of my work is from original drawings, designs or photographs.
I have helped a few people get started in marquetry, and am happy to help anyone with materials and knowledge (e-mail:-jodavepage@ gmail.com).
Some of the work produced by Dave.
Four Fans Lazy Susan
400 mm diameter.
The main woods used are:Kevasinga, American White Oak, Maple and Sapele Mahogany.
Native flowers Lazy Susan
600 mm diameter.
This includes designs of seven native forest flowers. They are southern rata, kowhai, ribbonwood, tree fuchsia, kaka beak, manuka, and clematis. The main woods used are:Rimu, Kahikatea, Mangeao, rewarewa
Geometric Flower Lazy Susan
600 mm diameter.
The main woods used are: European Beech, Jarrah, Palisander, Koto, Queensland Walnut, Eco-Jarrah.
The Ball
530 mm diameter.
This is an optical illusion design copied and enlarged from a small picture in a magazine, original designer unknown.
Woods used are: Stained Rimu (frame), Sycamore, Rimu, Tawa heartwood, Kohekohe, Zebrano, Rewarewa, Cadaga>
Low Tide on the Bar
420 x 700 mm.
Based on an etching in an old magazine of the seashore to the south side of the Hokitika river, looking towards Mount Cook and the Southern Alps.
The main woods used are:Kauri, Mangeao, Paldao, Walnut burl, Oak and Elm burls, Water Elm.
Miners Rest
460 x 510 mm.
Based on an old photograph of a bushman’s or goldminer’s log cabin on the West Coast.
The main woods used are: Black Bean, Tawa, Walnut Burl, Queensland Walnut, Elm, Paldao
Down and Out
490 x 560 mm.
This design is based on an old photograph of a boxing match on the side of the road near Hende’s Ferry, Harihari, South Westland.
The main veneers used are:Tawa, Rimu, Tasmanian Blackwood, Walnut Burl, Kohekohe, Zebrano
In the Woods
410 x 600 mm.
This design is based on an old photograph from a book of a hunter’s camp near the Kata River in Siberia.
The main woods used are: Tawa, Black Bean, Paldao, Walnut Burl, Queensland Walnut and Jarrah.
Looking Out
500 x 700 mm.
This is from an original sketch and is a sequel to “Looking in”. In this design it is the dog that is looking out.
The main veneers used are: Rimu, American Black Walnut, Queensland walnut, Rosewood, Teak, Madrona, Black Bean.
Home on a Hill
310 x 380 mm.
This design is based on an old calendar photograph of a derelict stone building in Central Otago. The rabbits in the foreground have their home on the hill.
Woods used are: Tawa, New Guinea rosewood, Queensland Walnut, Palisander and Elm
On the Shelf
300 x 770 mm (with doors closed 380 mm wide).
An original design of an artist’s cupboard.
The main woods used are: Kauri, Tawa, Rimu.
On the Shelf
300 x 770 mm (with doors closed 380 mm wide).
An original design of an artist’s cupboard.
The main woods used are: Kauri, Tawa, Rimu.
Looking In
450 x 610 mm.
From and original sketch based on a back country hut, the weka in the doorway is “looking in”.
Timbers used in this design include: Queensland walnut, Rimu, Kauri, Tawa and most of the wallboards are reconstituted “eco” veneer.
Offcuts Unlimited
750 x 1000 mm.
Based on a much smaller design by A. Gibbs-Murray this version is a display board which contains 147 different veneers from around the world, including some reconstituted “eco” veneers.
Day-bed
800 x 900 mm(ends).
An original design using Ahipara (50,000 year old)swamp kauri for the end frames and Mountain Ash for the two mattress support structures.
The marquetry panels on the ends include Southern rata, Mangeao, Rewarewa, Kohekohe and Tawa.
Day-bed
800 x 900 mm(ends).
An original design using Ahipara (50,000 year old)swamp kauri for the end frames and Mountain Ash for the two mattress support structures.
The marquetry panels on the ends include Southern rata, Mangeao, Rewarewa, Kohekohe and Tawa.
The Waiting Game
400 x 500 mm
From an original sketch of a duck shooter.
The main veneers used were: Tawa, Mangeao, Queensland Walnut, Palisander, American Black Walnut, Elm and Rimu.
Snakes and Ladders
450 mm square.
The main veneers used were Palisander, Red Beech, Kauri, Queensland Walnut, and on the ludo side, Rimu.
The coloured veneers are all eco-veneer where pale coloured veneer is dyed, glued into deformed blocks and re-sliced to give the appearance of natural or sometimes unnatural grain patterns.
Ludo Board (reverse)
450 mm square.
The main veneers used were Palisander, Red Beech, Kauri, Queensland Walnut, and on the ludo side, Rimu.
The coloured veneers are all eco-veneer where pale coloured veneer is dyed, glued into deformed blocks and re-sliced to give the appearance of natural or sometimes unnatural grain patterns.
Floral Dresser
1.9m x 800 x 350 mm.
An original design, the main carcase and shelves are Central American Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) plantation grown in Fiji.
The marquetry includes Mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), Queensland Walnut, Black Bean and Kohekohe.