Artist Information
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Name: Don Jensen
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Email:
djensen@garlic.com
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Website: http://donjensendesigns.com
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Artist Statement:
Born in Japan, with family taking Don around the world, he started at thirteen years old and quickly learned the love of wood working. A scouting merit badge sent Don with his father to the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida wood shop to turn candle sticks from old oak pallets. Dad’s eight inch Craftsman table saw allowed Don to pursue all kinds of wood projects until a garage sale earned the money for his first wood lathe.
Nineteen seventy nine marked the year where Don graduated from Cal Poly, SLO., with a degree in Landscape Architecture, which allowed him to learn much about all the different woods, most not available on the market. He started milling most of the woods he used himself. With identification, curing and storage of the wood he found unique uses for all the woods. Today Don purchases very little, since a good collection of woods has been amassed with culturally significant woods find productive uses. Incorporating many indigenous materials, like a black walnut dresser set with carved face, curved sides and Morgan Hill poppy jasper drawer pulls, all parts coming from downtown Morgan Hill, is just one example. Local olive wood from historic school sites or cherry from the stumps at Mariani orchards make up many projects, that leave Don’s shop.
Today, Don likes being referred to as a wood alchemist. Alchemy is a medieval science of turning straw into gold or the modern definition is to transform plain or simple materials into something special and unique.
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