Good evening Mr. Savage,
My name is Diego Miscoria, I am from Trieste, Italy. On October 2010 I met you when I was visiting your Atelier. Well, you picked me up at the train station and took me to your Atelier. I do suppose that you meet so many people that you don’t remember me. I am self taught, the Italian guy that built boats for many years (you’ll probably remember me for that detail).
I came to your furniture workshop to get some more information because I wanted to take a year with you, but I could not take a course; only because I could not afford it.
After a couple of years and many efforts I have managed to build my own furniture business, here in Trieste.
I would like to know (though I am sure that you probably have more important things to spend time on) if you can take a look a my designs and just give me a short opinion. For me it is very important to have a point of view of my creations from a person like you. My website is:
I don’t want to occupy too much of your time.
Have a good day.
Diego Miscoria
Hi Diego,
Yes I remember you. I have looked at your site and I congratulate you. It is rare to see an Italian furniture designer/ maker. You could do well but you do need to tighten your designs. The forms are fluid and imaginative but lack what I can only call tension. This is a visual tension that is the difference between a bent steel rule and the floppy hanging rope. Both are curved but one is tight the other loose.
This and tighter more refined making and you will go far.
A good start Diego, but only a start, this is a long race you have embarked upon.
Well done my friend,
David
Hi David,
Thanks for your answer. You’re right, I see that my designs need to improve. I can see that there is “that something” that you call “tension” that makes the difference. I believe that will take more practice and time, and probably some lessons in furniture design. Meanwhile I am practicing almost every day.
I appreciate very much your point of view, probably the first one that gets the focus on subjects I need to improve.
Also, you’re right about refining my skills. Essentially I know almost every technique, but that doesn’t mean that I am good at them. In the past my work was more about being fast rather than fine woodworking because, in the end, everything was covered by plaster and then painted, also the interior furniture in the boats was very simple.
The positive side is that I know the wood, and it’s properties, very well (because of a lot of hand work) and I have very good experience in bending wood. Of course I am lacking a little regarding fine woodworking, that I am working on improving day after day.
Thanks again, your answer was very constructive for me.
Have a nice day.
Diego Miscoria
Diego, would you be kind enough to allow me to make our correspondence public ? it would i am sure encourage many young makers setting out, you may not feel it, but you are an inspiring example to many who want to do what you have done!
David
Hi David,
No problem, yes you can. If you think that this can help someone else – no problem.
I would like to add something that, probably, young makers are facing…
As I began everybody told me that I was crazy, they asked me why I left a good payed job to do something they think will not give me the same money. It was really hard to start with everything around going against me.
I guess that it will take me no less than 7 to 10 years to start to create a name and a reputation.
The most two difficult parts for me now are:
1) Accept that in the beginning you have to work for so little money, doesn’t matter how good your work is. You have to accept that you are starting to build something from zero. I never forget that every single piece I create/build, and every word I say (or not) to a client will be part of my reputation.
2) It is very difficult to do exactly the kind of work I plan/dream to do. What I think is a good design my client does not always think the same, or their budget is not enough.
As this is a full time job for me I work a great many hours more than others (and I mean MANY HOURS, no Saturdays or Sundays), sometimes I accept doing pieces that I would prefer to reject; I’ve started to earn some money only after almost a year.
But all that pain gives me a reason others doesn’t have. I want to reach something and have to find the way; no matter what.
I am very far from my furniture dreams and I am still working on many issues and mainly regarding my designs and the quality of my work.
It was a difficult decision to start, for my pocket it was very hard, I didn’t choose the easiest profession, the economic moment is not the best, but there is something have in mind, I am not going to quit.
Thanks again David.
Diego Miscoria