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A traditional furniture conservator, restorer, and maker discusses his life experiences and his philosophy of work. All the work of this marquetry* master is done with hand tools and organic traditional materials and methods
WILLIAM PATRICK EDWARDS was born in Los Angeles in 1948 and raised in San Diego, where his studio is now located. He studied physics at University of California at San Diego and graduated with a BA in Applied Physics and Information Science. However, Edwards, long interested in antique furniture, started an antique restoration business in 1969. Since then, his principal occupation has been conservation and restoration of pre-industrial furniture, using only hand tools and traditional methods and materials.
From 1976 to 1985, Edwards worked as the furniture conservator for the 1864 Phineas Banning Residence Museum in Wilmington (Los Angeles). In 1992, he studied under Dr. Pierre Ramond at the Ecole Boulle in Paris. Edwards received the support of Dr. Ramond in launching the American School of French Marquetry (San Diego) in the year 2000. This allows Edwards to divide his time between working on furniture conservation in the business and teaching marquetry in the school.
He is the author of numerous articles on his philosophy of work and traditional techniques of marquetry. For more information and images of Edwards’ remarkable designs, visit his blog at: http://wpatrickedwards.blogspot.com/
*Marquetry is the art and craft of inlaying small pieces of material (wood, shell, ivory) into a surface of decorative veneer.