Espérance is French for hope. This table in ebonized American Walnut tells the story of a journey that’s only just beginning. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, heart full of hope and a whole new world to reach out for and explore. This is my first self-designed piece at the Sturt School for Wood. The joinery was a challenge: half-laps with plenty of internal shoulders for strength and stability, not to mention the angles. The assembly of the base structure had to be done all at once, as each member provides support and locks the other ones in place, for a cohesive whole. Thus, it echoes my own experience of joining the Australian woodworking community: every woodworker I’ve met, and most particularly all our teachers at Sturt, has lent me generous support and strength to take my dreams a step further on the journey.

Launch Gallery