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Archer at work on his wood-turning lathe
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An assortment of Fielding Archer's candlesticks — no two are alike.
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Archer's candlesticks are made from wood scavenged in the woods near his home.
Name: Fielding Archer
What he makes: Turned candlesticks crafted from a variety of regional woods.
Website: fieldinggoods.com (coming soon)
Original inspiration: Creative by nature and game to experiment, Archer bought a used wood-turning lathe and taught himself how to use it, beginning with an oak log from his firewood pile. “I started turning it, and it turned into a candlestick,” he says. “So I made 10 more and gave them as Christmas presents.”
The process: Unlike his lifelong vocation of portrait painting, which requires planning and months of work, the improvisational nature of making the candlesticks is what Archer enjoys most. “I love how they evolve while I’m working, … sometimes curvy, sometimes with harder edges,” he says. “I’m always trying for different shapes.” Free of design constraints, he tells customers what he has available, and they choose. “This is so far removed from painting,” he explains. “All I need is a lathe and a sharp chisel, … no ruler, no pencil. It’s the perfect foil to painting.”
Of his candlesticks’ quirky lines, Archer says, “I like to make shapes that look foreign to me, not identifiable as Colonial or Baroque or anything else I’ve ever seen.” Each one is unique, with heights ranging from 10 to 18 inches, and each is finished with a coat of locally harvested beeswax. His first retail order came from Deborah Boschen, owner of Richmond women’s clothier Verdalina. “She wanted some for her shop, so I gave her a few, and [then] I couldn’t make ’em fast enough,” Archer says.
One advantage of this new pursuit is that raw materials are free. “I like the fact that it’s all found wood,” says Archer, who scavenges while riding his bike or walking in the woods near his home. He’s experimented with a variety of woods, including maple, plum, river birch, elm and locust, and he has developed favorites — dogwood in particular. “I hate seeing any good dogwood go to waste,” he says. “It’s thin, and I can make smaller candlesticks that can be very elegant.”
Fun fact: Archer is also in production with an innovative flat-pack furniture line that he designed to be easy to transport (in your car trunk) and assemble (in two minutes). Tables, chairs and sofas will be available this spring.
