Nancy French | Designs in Wool and Wood

Trained as a traditional furniture maker at North Bennet Street School in Boston’s North End, I have built and repaired furniture and taught woodworking for many years. Recently I have strayed from my traditional furniture background, and I now work with salvaged tree branches, local hardwoods, felted wool, and other found or recycled materials.

My current work with wood is sculptural, using twisted curly willow branches and local hardwoods salvaged from other projects and broken furniture. The branches are set inside dovetailed boxes and seem to be growing through them. Another of my recent projects is making little houses using the bark that I have removed from firewood. The little houses have a hinged door with a tiny carved doorknob.

I also make rugs, wall hangings and mittens using felted wool. The wool comes from worn out apparel, which is taken apart and felted. There are so many opportunities for artists to re-use discarded, damaged or worn out materials. Finding a new use for something that has been thrown away is always an adventure.

I am always on the lookout for interesting branches, bark, wood and moth eaten sweaters. Investigating brush and firewood piles on the side of the road is a favorite hobby. If you are doing some pruning and see some interesting branches, let me know.

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