Ethan Rider in his workshop (Photo by Ash Daniel)
Name: Ethan Rider
Business: Rider Woodworks
Fun fact: Rider started out as a painter, traveling the country and selling his work at music festivals.
What he makes: Cutting boards and tables ... so far.
Original inspiration: Rider says his love for working with wood was inspired by days as a boy spent playing in the woods and creeks near his family’s house in Mechanicsville. Exploring, building forts and fishing with friends in his neighborhood forged a connection to nature, and the influence of his creative family — his parents own Rider Boot Shop — encouraged him to make something of it.
Getting started: A couple of years ago, Rider took up woodworking in the backyard workshop his father used for years. “I’ve always enjoyed making things with my hands,” he says. He started out with a cutting board he made with help from his dad and gave to his brother for Christmas. Positive feedback for the cutting board encouraged Rider to do more.
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A cutting board of walnut, maple, figured cherry and purpleheart (Photo by Ethan Rider)
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A couple of boards ready for their oil baths (Photo by Ethan Rider)
Recent work: Lately, Rider has made some coffee tables with live edges, meaning they are made of a full slice of tree with bark on both sides. He also delivered a custom dining room table made of black walnut with sugar maple beadboard ends and a base made of steel with a brass-colored finish. “I like to make crazy, funky stuff, but I also like to let the wood speak for itself,” he says, pointing to a serving/charcuterie board made of one solid slice of wood. He’s interested in mixing media like epoxy with pigments added, concrete, resin and different finishes. “I like to push the boundary and see how far it can be taken,” he explains.
Favorite woods: Rider enjoys working with local woods such as oak, butternut, maple and his favorite, black walnut. “I love the dark-brown quality and the rich smell, almost like chocolate chip cookies,” he says. Some of his cutting boards feature a mix of domestic and exotic woods like purpleheart wood from Brazil, assembled in interesting patterns. He often uses a variety of edge grain pieces to create a striped effect. Sourcing his materials from near and far for current and future projects, he says, “I buy what I like as I see it ... most woodworkers are wood hoarders.”
Where you can find his work: He shows and sells his cutting boards, serving boards and coasters at Richmond-area shows at breweries like The Veil, and on his website.
