– Mary Garrison/Tribune-Courier || John Jacob has been woodworking for some 43 years. He is pictured here, with one of his favorite pieces, a burl bowl.

A Dying Art

Local man crafts art from wood

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Features Editor
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

BENTON – John Jacob is more than a pharmacist at Nelson’s Pharmacy, he’s an artist. The 79-year-old local man has spent the last 43 years woodworking “just for fun.”

“It was just one of those things I wanted to try,” Jacob said. “You can do whatever you want to do with it, there’s no set plan.”

And that’s precisely what he does. Jacob said most of the time, he follows his own ideas and designs to create his masterpieces. The bowls, in particular, are some of his best known pieces and one of his personal favorites.

“I like the burls,” Jacob said. “You never know what’s on the inside.”

It’s no easy undertaking, either. One bowl can take anywhere from two to five hours to complete, depending on the type of wood.

“It doesn’t take that long to work the outside,” he said, “it’s the inside you have to be careful with, especially when it gets thin.”

Jacob uses just about any type of wood, as well. Dogwood, apple, oak, ash and cherry just to name a few. Perhaps more surprising is that Jacob often finds his own wood to use for his pieces.

“This is the perfect place for a woodworker,” Jacob said. “I find my own wood and take it to the sawmill, and they’ll cut it into planks for me.”

However, Jacob doesn’t just set out to make a bud vase or walking stick right out of the gates. He said after the wood is cut, it has to sit untouched for approximately one year to dry properly before it is able to be used.

“If you have a dehumidifier it can go a little faster,” Jacob said. “And sometimes I buy prepared planks.”

However, Jacob finds the most satisfaction in originals because, “I like to do wood that no one’s ever seen before.”

He’s learned to pace himself well, too. Jacob said he often makes things ahead of time to keep on hand.

“I’ll make 20 or 30 bud vases at a time,” he said. “That way if someone’s in the hospital or when I just need one, I’ve got it.”

He’s no stranger to larger projects, though. Jacob said he’s made just about everything, including a butcher block table and a cherry dresser set for his granddaughter as a graduation present.

“I made 100 wood skis one winter,” Jacob recalled. “I decided that wasn’t any fun — that was work. And that’s why I don’t sell anything. I learned my lesson.”

However, Jacob said it isn’t terribly difficult to get started. Murray State University will sometimes offer classes, and Jacob said there are books available for beginners, as well.

“It’s a dying art form, really,” Jacob said. “You never know what you’ll end up with when you start.”