Musings

WIA Day 1 – Freddy Roman

Two months ago as I was in the hospital awaiting the surgery to bolt together my broken hip I called and left a message with Megan Fitzpatrick (when you call a shaker and mover like Megan it is likely you will get her voice mail rather than her actual voice) that I would not be able to fulfill my commitment to teach two lengthy session at WIA 2015.  My topic was going to be “Roubo Parquetry.”  I was a bit chagrined inasmuch as Megan had made a special dispensation to give me two very long sessions at WIA (3 hours) rather than 3 two-hour sessions and here I was bailing on her.

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When we spoke in real time the following day she asked, “Well, who can do it in your place?”  I immediately put forward the name of Freddy Roman, the hard charging and brilliant (and apparently indefatigable) young furniture maker from the Boston area renowned for his Federal style inlay work.  She called him and much to our relief he said yes, although knowing Freddy a little bit I was sure he was already overbooked in every facet of his life.

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Freddy taught the session the afternoon of the first day, and the morning of the third day and I made sure to be there in the seats to both encourage him and learn from him.  I’m not sure he actually needed any encouragement, but certainly I learned from his teaching.  It was quite fun to see the topic I had presented many times before being presented by someone else.  While the information was essentially the same, the order and emphasis was different, and I plan to purloin some of the points and demonstrations he made and incorporate them into my own teaching on the subject.

I apologize for the pictures, but as I said the lighting was dreadful, and I did not want to drag my bigger camera around.

Thanks Freddy!  Your account in the Bank of Don is burgeoning.