Norman Vogel - Wood Marquetry
Article written for CACE by Sharron Eckert
Precision, accuracy, exactness. Those words describe the manner and the artistry of Norman Vogel, from the carefully preserved bones of the snapping turtle he found dead in his yard to his table-saw marquetry hand-crafted items. Actually Norman has been working with wood since his boyhood, beginning with bird houses and always having a shop table in every residence where he has lived. He progressed from those birdhouses, to clocks, to furniture, to jewelry boxes and has shared his love for woodworking with his three sons. This interview took place at a cherry table made by one of those sons.
During this recent chapter of his work, Norman was inspired to create via table saw marquetry. This particular interest came from three influences: 1) an artist friend needed recessed lids on the boxes that he was making for her, 2) he saw a wooden trivet which had belonged to his wife’s mother, and 3) he was intrigued by the triangle-diamond shapes of a woven bag purchased in Afghanistan. He began using his table saw to make perfectly shaped 90-degree and 45-degree cuts and positioning the pieces into intricate patterns. His various woods of cedar, cherry, poplar, walnut, oak, maple, and sassafras, are all from the Cumberland Plateau and come kiln-dried from the Robert Walker Sawmill in Monterey, Tennessee.
Norman’s precise nature was also a part of his career. He earned his doctoral degree in Vertebrate Zoology and taught pre-med students at Washington Jefferson College in Washington Pennsylvania for twenty-nine years. (Thus recently cleaning and mounting the bones of a turtle was an enjoyable project.) Upon retirement, he built a house for himself and his wife, Margaret, in Pennsylvania and worked on Habitat for Humanity houses. After moving to Uplands Village in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, Norman was one of the founders of the Cumberland County chapters.
Norman’s wooden boxes and trivets are on display and for sale at The Rainbow, 765 Woodland Circle, off Peavine Road beside the Shell station near Fairfield Glade. A large rainbow sign marks the location. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 - 5, or by appointment, 456-7748.
Two visitors from Louisville KY, Evan and Jackson Moser, proudly display their marquetry boxes
with Norman Vogel standing near other pieces
in the background.
Precise cutting and careful positioning mark the work of Norman Vogel’s marquetry pieces.
