Craig Whittaker

Hi - I am 67 years of age and I recently retired from my career as an academic, teaching in universities in England, Holland and the United States. My passion is woodworking, and I see designing and making comfortable and stylish chairs as the pinnacle of that craft.
I have many of the skills needed to make a chair, and I certainly have the woodworking tools, as I cannot resist buying them, but I have come to realise that the most important tool is the ability to create something that has never existed before. That is why I am so excited to begin this course :).
My key influences are the Japanese aesthetic, along with the American Shaker movement and Scandinavian design, culminating in the mid-century modern furniture era. I subscribe to Fine Woodworking magazine and Elle Decor, and along with my Runners' World subscription these are eagerly anticipated arrivals on my doorstep each month.
I am really attracted to Finn Juhl's chairs, and I have begun to make a copy of his Japan Chair, based upon scaled copies of images found on the web.