Chet McDougle

So grateful to have my piece included alongside so many wonderful objects made by so many wonderful people at the #furnsoc conference

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For physical books there’s betterworldbooks.com. Purchases there fund donations for programs that provide books to underprivileged individuals.

A wooden table with a large number of folded paper cranes

A wooden sculpture vaguely resembling a parachute on a black background. A drawer is attached to the bottom that is filled with folded paper cranes

Good progress today. Sixty paper cranes, each with the name of a fallen Marine from Operation Enduring Freedom, added to my “Care Package” sculpture.

This.

There are always opportunities for growth. Despite not being accepted into the program of my choice, I’m not discouraged. It only gives me that much more time to prepare myself for what lies ahead. Rejection isn’t necessarily the universe saying “no” it could just be, “not right now.” #failforward

Making small progress on my website. What do y’all think? #artistsofbluesky

Looks like a good time with great people!

SAVE THE DATE: 📅 Friday, April 25 | 🕓 4–530 pm.

The Architecture of Art: Wharton Esherick Panel Discussion

🪑Emily Zilber (Wharton Esherick Museum)
🪑Katie Hudnall and Tom Loeser (UW–Madison)
🪑Jodi Throckmorton (Kohler Arts Center, mod.)

Info: loom.ly/qLXFpxE

📷Esherick Museum

Sharp plane, sharp focus, nice transitions!

Took an opportunity to make a simple project more fun. I was asked to make a set of cornhole boards for a friend and I loathe pocket hole screws, so why not overengineer them with finger and lap joints? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

People are increasingly distraught in this technohell we occupy. They yearn for genuine connection. They don’t simply want to buy a piece of art they want to invest in an individual they relate to.

I believe we’re seeing a shift in the role of artist due to social media and AI.

We’re moving from artist as faceless creative (because of the sheer wealth of “content” available 24/7)
To
Artist as Personality

AI can recreate our works, but they can’t recreate our souls

Picture of a person in a wood shop wearing a green shirt and gray winter hat. They have a black respirator and large red earphones on. Various tools are in the background

Safety is cool af

The Productivity–Pay Gap The huge gap between rising incomes at the top and stagnating pay for the rest of us shows that workers are no longer benefiting from their rising productivity. Before 1979, worker pay and productivit...

The stagnation of compensation over the last fifty years, while productivity has quadrupled, is indicative of exploitative practices. The increased revenue from the efforts of the workers are not being dispersed proportionately just to bolster profit margins
www.epi.org/productivity...

The problem is the hoarding of wealth. Should people creating jobs and bringing talented people together to innovate be rewarded for the risks they take? Sure. However, it’s the exploitation of their workforce in pursuit of infinitely higher gains that’s the problem.

Picture of a white table with an orange router lift inset. A table saw fence is in the background

Slowly, but surely, the shop is coming together

Esherick Exhibition Sparks Inspiration for Students and Local Woodcrafters - Chazen Museum of Art This semester, UW–Madison students are taking the rare opportunity to explore the work of Wharton Esherick, the pioneering wood craftsman and artist often called the […]

UW–Madison students are taking the rare opportunity to deeply study the works of Wharton Esherick, the pioneering wood craftsman and artist often called the father of the studio furniture movement.

Learn more: loom.ly/V_81tIM

#WhartonEsherick #StudioFurniture @uwmadison.bsky.social

I know a number of people that felt the ending wasn’t satisfying. That’s the point though. It makes it hit harder. It’s more real. Life is not a tidy three act structure. The events after the end are in flux and the reader can only speculate.

Screenshot that reads: Here’s the tariff information for Canada. Those that read and understand it can see that they’re low or nonexistent for most things. The numbers that have been going around in a “fact” sheet have been stating that Canada imposes outright tariffs on many goods as high as 298%. This is wrong. What IS in place is a supply management program. Most Canadian imports from the US (and EU) are subject to little or no tariffs within a specific quota. After the quota is reached, the high tariffs the “fact” sheet lists are imposed. However, seldom are any goods subject to these higher tariffs. 99% of dairy exports from the US are not charged the higher tariff 77.7 million Kilograms of chicken may be imported into Canada before the higher tariffs are enforced. The US also does the same thing. The US Imposes tariffs on goods above their Import threshold as high as 350%. This is why it’s important that you do your research instead of blindly sharing things just because they fit with the narrative you want to believe. Feel free to copy and share this information.

There has been a ”fact” sheet going around with various percentages it claims reflect Canada‘s tariffs. Here is the actual information on Canadian tariffs

bit.ly/4hfdGlb

Sharing as an image due to character limit #tariffs #uspolitics # misinformation #dotheresearch

Great things! Hopefully

But today is tool maintenance and shop cleanup

Picture of a room with wood paneling that has various woodworking tools. A large, square white table fills most of the space. A circular saw is attached to the bottom left corner of the table.

Morning view. I’m happy to finally have time to spend in the #woodshop. #woodworking

A wooden drawer filled with paper cranes on a black background. Attached to the top of the drawer is a rounded, triangular wooden structure resembling a parachute

I have been too busy with training at work to get into the shop. I hope to remedy that soon! Here’s an ongoing project of mine titled Care Package. There aren’t enough words here for me to elaborate on what this piece means to me. Separated from the meaning though, I still think it’s a lovely form.

A close-up picture of the book ‘Prophet Song’ by Paul Lynch. The book is sitting on a gray surface.

I know that #handmaidstale is circulating people’s reading lists again due to the current political climate. Another great read that hits chillingly close to home is #prophetsong. This is the most grounded depiction of life after a political upheaval that I’ve read. #bookclub #goodreads #pageturner.

Does anyone else see pictures of big piles of wood shavings and hear the sound? So satisfying!

You’re basically Mr. BlueSky

Close-up of a book lying on a wooden table. The book cover reads NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Your Brain on Art How the Arts Transform Us Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross

Today’s read. I have purchased this book no less than three separate times. I recommend for everyone, but especially if you are a creative looking for a deeper understanding of your practice. #artliterature #artbook

A golden retriever looking at the camera. It is wearing a hat made out of newspaper

Use your imagination, even if it’s just pretending that your dog is pretending that they are the captain of a gang of cutthroats in search of buried squeaky toys. 🎵What’s the story #Wishbone!!! 🎵