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Show 10 Vernal Express Wednesday, August 11, 1993 odern mnaslleir cratemmami M peirpeftyaftes 18th Ceimftdfliry Art by Melanie Morrison Lifestyle Writer As a youngster, Duane DePaepe of Vernal, developed an interest in wood. He was constantly carrying a pocket knife with him and carving small figurines, never realizing that some day his desire to create would lead him to an unusual hobbyart form. When he was young, his mother showed him a picture of ancestors from the northern section of Belgium. These ancestors were accomplished ac-complished cabinet and furniture makers with Dutch and French influences. in-fluences. The picture showed them standing together near a bedroom set they had just finished. DePaepe calls this story "spooky" some may call it "deja vu." Need can be a motive in most ventures. ven-tures. Several years ago, while living liv-ing in Michigan, DePaepe found himself "needing" furniture for a home that he was moving into. A friend told him that his father-in-law owned a furniture factory in Grand Rapids, Mich, where specialty furniture fur-niture was being made. The friend told him the furniture made in the factory was shipped to wealthy people peo-ple all over the world. He visited the factory and there he found workers that weren't the average aver-age laborers but instead artists in their own right He observed them and their craft and decided that if they could do it build furniture then so could he. "You have to develop a taste for handmade furniture by overlooking the imperfections in the piece," DePaepe said. "You definitely have to have a good knowledge of design to appreciate the work that goes into the building of the piece." Once he was invited to a social gathering in an extremely expensive neighborhood. When he walked into the host's home, he immediately noticed no-ticed the owners had several pieces of handmade furniture. The host thought it was highly unusual when DePaepe walked over to a table and began carefully stroking it to find imperfections in the top. Sometimes, he said, there may be uneven areas in a handmade piece, or a leg that is uneven. Most often these imperfections aren't found in machine made furniture. DePaepe began studying the history histo-ry of furniture building. He discovered discov-ered that the height of furniture building was in the mid-18th centu ry, the "Age of Enlightenment." He explained that for several years the Church dominated Europe. Greek knowledge was lost in European libraries then later revitalized revital-ized by the Arabs when they conquered con-quered Spain. DePaepe continued by saying the Greeks believed everything ev-erything evolved around mathematical mathemati-cal equations. Around the time that Columbus discovered America, the lost knowledge knowl-edge became available. "There was an explosion of knowledge and furniture fur-niture making fit into the era. Furniture was looked at as an art and a form of architecture. They used very elaborate designs with a lot of scrolls and curves," he explained. ex-plained. "The French and English were master builders that made very ornate pieces for royalty." This is often referred to as the "Baroque Era." DePaepe was mesmerized by the quality and style of furniture in the Baroque Era. He began studying the art form extensively; taking on pieces that are of the utmost challenge chal-lenge to his ability; each piece being more challenging than the one be- ifqrc' -"V- b" ' 1 iiiiiii n . !" v t ' - ' i ;?, v-t 7r I i a 1 , - .ti I. ; ,? 1 1 j-t.:-v ' 1 f l t t- i r ; SECOND CHALLENGE of furniture maker, Duane DePaepe, a tall case clock, patterned after the masters of the Baroque Era. Even the inter-workings of the clock are hand made. DUANE DEPAEPE prepares to split a piece of of furniture and cabinet making used similar walnut with crude but precise tools. The masters tools centurys ago. fore. His first piece was a small table clock made with curves and scrolls then finished with brass he manufactured manu-factured himself. From there his next challenge was a tall case clock, similar to a grandfather clock. He doesn't use any power tools but instead uses precise antique tools manufactured by the masters themselves. In addition, he has developed de-veloped his own tools to make the job easier. Each piece is assembled using dovetail joints and glue. There isn't a nail, staple or screw found in any of his pieces. All of his furniture is made of hardwood, such as cherry or walnut, from the eastern United States. The wood is purchased from a store in Salt Lake City which specializes in hardwoods. Most of the wood he receives re-ceives is delivered in large unfinished unfin-ished blocks that have to be split, then planed and finally assembled and finished. He begins each piece with a hand drawn blueprint which he follows carefully. Then it is assembled using his own senses of sight, touch and sound. He is currently working on a Windsor chair fashioned after ones found in the Windsor Casde. This requires knowledge of engineering so that each curve is exact; each leg is perfect; and each spindle shaped to fit the body just right Comfort, besides strength and appearance, are an ultimate goal. In addition, each piece is signed. To finish a piece, DePaepe uses no stain or varnish, but instead hand rubs a combination of linseed oil and turpentine into the wood using pieces of rough wool. For some pieces, this may take a couple of months to finish. He applies the first coat, allows it to dry; applies the next coat, allows it to dry; and so on. A finished piece will take on an iridescent glow during the day when the sun is shining on it. Some pieces have been painted which was a common practice among the master furniture makers. DePaepe's art eventually became a business venture and his pieces sit in some of the world's wealthiest homes. Selling his pieces of furniture furni-ture was unrewarding to him so he discontinued the business. He is now the Vernal District BLM environmental envi-ronmental specialist; a career he has had for 13 years. DePaepe has been active in Vernal since becoming a part of the community. com-munity. He was a major player in the Kids Canal project and the chairman of the highly successful Uintah Basin Folk Arts Festival put on this past July. He disqualified himself as an artist in the Folk Arts Festival because" his art of making furniture didn't fit the parameters set for exhibitors. His furniture is from a different era and not associated associ-ated with the Uintah Basin. Creating a fine piece of furniture can be compared with the creation of life. DePaepe lives each piece from its beginning to its end. He nurtures it; he cares for it; and he appreciates it; just as a parent would a child. He is an artist just like the ones that lived in past centuries. And who knows, maybe someday DePaepe's furniture will become collector's pieces. ' fcJ:;': - ;- I il-' ; , I i - " ' 1 1 ,r - J" USING A sharp plane, DePaepe levels the wood with even strokes. DUANE DEPAEPE relaxes in a finished Windsor chair at his dinner din-ner table. The teapot reflects the hand rubbed shine of linseed oil and turpentine. Help to farmers available through Salinity Control program The Colorado River Salinity Control Project (CRSQ can help Uintah Basin irrigators reduce the amount of salts that enter the Colorado River by installing improved im-proved irrigation systems. The CRSC program will pay up to 70-percent 70-percent of installing an irrigation system. This past year, IS individuals formed a group now known as the Steller Boren group, to install a wheel line irrigation system to water wa-ter their fields located around 2500 South and between 500 West and Vernal Avenue. Following the annual annu-al 1991 fiscal year CRSC sign up at the local office of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, ASCS, the group had a new irrigation designed by the Soil Conservation Service, SCS. The project covered 350 acres of farmland farm-land growing alfalfa and grain. This abandoned 1.7 miles of leaky canal. The project was constructed in the spring of 1992 and one farmer, Vcrdin Goodrich, started his system the following July 24th. The total cost for the structure and mainline, shared between the government and group members was approximately $158,500.00. Estimated water savings sav-ings is 250 acre-feet of water per limrmmmriAMilmma mm mm 9iJlmMMmimmmwmmmmitmamm9mBmmr.,mtm riwi ni,iimi n mmiii i m n year with estimated salt savings of 400 tons per year. Preventing salt from entering the Colorado River is the ultimate goal in CRSC. According to Goodrich, his workload work-load has been decreased by about 50-percent since installing wheel line sprinkling systems, including upkeep on ditches. Goodrich said that originally several sev-eral members of the group weren't interested in changing from a flood irrigation system to a sprinkling system. This created conflict among neighbors with adjoining fields. It See Irrigation page 14 VERDIN GOODRICH prepares to move wheel line sprinkling system In his alfalfa field. |