Page 30 - Allisons Magazine Issue #95
P. 30

matter of seconds, three other dogs
           from elsewhere joined them on the
           hunt, like an impromptu dog Avengers
           summit. We left the pups to their                                                                                     found ourselves parked in front of a   footstool in the middle of the room   workshop are vignettes indicative of the
           mission and strolled toward the water,                                                                                field with a series of wooden structures   for tired legs. It is like stumbling on a   artist that creates here—a giant cat-head
           plunking down on some driftwood                                                                                       to the right of us. And not just any   children’s book illustration come to life.   mask quilted with sheep’s wool, sketches
           and noting how empty the stretch of                                                                                   wooden structures. One stretches                                        made by a robot that David and his
           pebbly beach was. We fantasized about                                                                                 twenty-eight feet by twenty-eight feet   David explained, “I built the giant   mathematics wizard friend programmed
           the unpurchased fresh greens and goat                                                                                 by sixteen feet, with a giant sliding   sliding glass barn door mostly out of   to draw, flat files stuffed full of art
           cheese from the market, vowing to come   town to forage for more substantial   gallery on the way to the bathroom. I   glass door that covers half the building.   curiosity. I’d never seen such a large   supplies, and bins of screws and nuts
           back one day and have a proper picnic   offerings. You can’t go to Vashon Island   had a hard time deciding between the   At that moment, I realized my curly-  door. I put it on the north side so the   and washers. There is a chalkboard on
           on the beach—and bring our books.   and not eat at the Hardware Store. It’s   fish and chips and the Baja tacos, but   haired friend is a bona fide carpenter   light would be even and I could use the   one wall of the shop with a to-do list.
           (Introvert habits die hard.) As we walked   something of an institution, and for   the Pacific cod tacos—and their spicy   with a skill set that allowed him to   natural light whenever it was available.”   Number 4 reads, “Go to one new place
           back to our car, we were greeted by a   good reason. Owner Melinda Powers   cilantro-jalapeño flavor—eventually won   envision and follow through on this   In one corner of the wood shop is the   a week.”
           lumbering hound dog named Berlin,   transformed an old hardware store into   me over.                                 rustically stunning wood workshop. A   wood lathe, made in Australia by a
           whose owner was trying unsuccessfully   a thriving restaurant that focuses on                                         much smaller structure features a wall   company called Vicmarc. The best-of-  David is no stranger to trying out new
           to herd the sassy old dog into the car. I   locally sourced, organic ingredients. It’s   With full bellies, it was wooden bowl   of windows and a completely hand-  the-best machinery, this 400 to 500   things. After a high-school art teacher
           began formulating an Instagram hashtag   now listed on the National Register of   time, and we headed to my friend    built kitchen outfitted with cast-iron   pounds of cast iron is equivalent to the   urged him to head across the country
           in my mind— #rebeldogsofvashon.     Historic Places, and it has retained its   David’s property. We made the left turn   cookware, a mortar and pestle, wooden   price of a well-cared-for used car. David   for art school, he decided on the Tyler
                                               charm with a pressed-tin ceiling and   at his handmade sign that proclaimed,      utensils, a food scale, and vases filled   also has a much smaller lathe he uses   School of Art in Philadelphia and took
           The snap peas and strawberries were   salvaged wood, both remnants of the   “David Earle. Woodturner. Bowls,          with wildflowers. A mauve-hued velvet   to give spinning-top demonstrations   classes in jewelry-making, sculpture,
           polished off, so we headed back into   original store. There’s even a neat art   spinning tops, and other goodies” and   couch hugs one wall, with a wood-hewn   at the farmers’ market. All around the   and ceramics, among others. After




           28 | AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE                                                                                                                                                                             americanlifestylemag.com | 29
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