John Porritt has worked with wood since his childhood, making little boats of elder to sail on the Hampshire streams and constructing bows and arrows to play with in the woods. His initial formal training was at Stokecroft Arts in North London in the mid 70s, followed by six months of carpentry instruction in the government skill center in Sittingbourne, Kent. He then attended Shrewsbury College of Technology where he studied fine furniture making with John Price (who trained with Edward Barnsley in the Arts & Crafts Furniture tradition). Since 1980, Porritt has been self-employed, initially as a designer and maker then gravitating to furniture restoration, finishing and chair making. He moved with his family to Upstate New York in 2008, where Porritt has been restoring furniture, making the occasional new piece, and restoring antique tools for collectors and dealers. He’s worked on some of the great American and English tools by the earliest known makers. His fascination with Welsh stick chairs comes from their diversity and direct use of available materials. He loves the idea that some of these Welsh chairs feel as if they are half out of the hedge.

The Belligerent Finisher by John Porritt available at Lost Art Press

Services

Chair making