Welcome to our workshop and studio
Our workshop was one of the first buildings we built here in Homer. I was inspired to create the arched hammer-beam roof structure by a frame made by Ed Levin for artist blacksmith Dimitri Gerakaris in New Hampshire. ( It’s the black and white image towards the top of the linked page.
I was lucky enough to see it during construction while visiting a friend I’d met at Pond Farm Potter School. Later, I saw the same shop in books on timber framing.
When it came time to build my studio, I read a few of Ed Levins’s articles in the Timber Framer’s Guild publications, where he discussed the necessary buttressing of a hammer-beam arch.
Based on his recommendations, I created a double post buttress with top and bottom braces, which resisted the forces on the hammer-beam brace and supported a large cantilever for the principal rafter.
In turn, it’s an inspiring place to work and create my art.
A 16th here and a 16th there was what it took to get all the arches fitting tightly.
After months of cutting, it was a joy to see the frame standing.
Lot's of headroom makes for a great feeling of space, room to swing long boards, and a warm ceiling.
The porch roof frame has log purlins that are locked to wall rafter with round dovetails. The roof is supported by a tall, cedar beach log post. I replaced the oiled canvas roof with a shellacked fiberglass mat with a squeegeed silicone coating.
Where it all begins
I’ve always been fascinated by skeletons. I think that’s one of the reasons I have such an affinity for timber frame structures. It’s part of why we have incorporated timber framing into so many of the buildings here at Dean Family Farm and Art Studios. Being able to see the actual ‘bones’ of a building gives me a more profound sense of its being. I often carry this into my artwork by leaving traces in the finished work, of all the tools I’ve used in its creation.
The large, focal point artwork and especially, the large wall art I make in steel and wood, lends itself to timber frame buildings and can help define the overall character of a great room or other significant space in any building.
You can find this kind of focal point artwork in our online gallery, and can see it in person at The Dean Gallery here in Homer, Alaska.
If you have something particular in mind and can’t find just what you’re looking for in my current inventory, you can learn about how I can make custom artwork for you that aligns with your vision for your space.
You can also browse our portfolio and tour our place; online or on a Dean Family Farm and Art Studios tour.
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