Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking

CRAIG JOHNSON, ARTISAN 2007/CRAFTSMAN 2009/JOURNEYMAN 2012 – I always thought of myself as a woodworker, but spent most of my life not really knowing what was possible in this craft. The Artisan Program changed all that. Studying the fundamentals for six intense weeks at Inside Passage broadened my perspective. I learned a new way of working that opened my eyes to all kinds of possibilities. I had to go back for more! So, I enrolled in the Craftsman Program. It was a major commitment of time, energy and resources, but definitely worth it. Every day I was pushed to my limit, and then some, but that’s what helped me grow. The support of Robert and Yvonne, and of my fellow students created a welcoming atmosphere at the school that made it a great place to learn. Robert’s teaching, and the James-Krenov-way-of-working that is the foundation for this fine school, brought me to a place of confidence in, and enjoyment of, this craft that I don’t think I could have found anywhere else. Most recently, I had the opportunity to make a reproduction of Vidar’s chair in the Journeyman Program. This was just what I needed to push my skills to the next level. Chairs are challenging to make, and this chair was no exception. It presented studies in grain graphics, shaping and fitting of complex joinery that demanded my full attention. Robert, thank you for generously sharing your expertise and for helping me see what was possible. My work will always reflect the huge influence that you and the school have had on my woodworking career. In the beginning, I had high expectations of Inside Passage. Now, I’m happy to say they were all exceeded!

Shane Brown, Sydney Australia
I completed the artisan program in 2012. I have always been someone who was interested in woodworking but had never spent enough time practicing to get really good at cabinetmaking. I was also alone in my craft and wasn’t aware of what was required to get the kind of results I achieved at the course at Inside Passage. I have a busy job in Australia as the director of a charity helping children and young people in Sydney and after many years in the position decided to take an extended break to follow that passion. I searched online and found Inside Passage; I emailed Yvonne the schools administrator to find out more about the program. I was worried about whether I would qualify for the course. She assured me that I would be fine and that there were people at different skills level attending and I would be able to complete the work. She was right and I felt very confortable in the classroom.
Yvonne also sent me an accommodation list of people in Roberts Creek who are happy to rent a room, I contacted a local and stayed in a beautiful house at a very reasonable cost that was two minutes from the College. I am still in contact with some local people; two visited me in Australia recently.
Robert Van Norman the Resident Craftsman and Teacher made me feel valued and respected as a student and was always willing to help me fix mistakes Id made, “not that I made that many mistakes”.
The course changed my understanding of the craft and I learned so much about how to sharpen tools, appreciate timber and its qualities, use hand tools and machinery and produce a beautiful piece of furniture. It was intensive and very instructive with Robert demonstrating every step of the way. As I said other students were at different skills levels and we often worked in teams, this helped me to build confidence in the work.
Apart from the new skills I learned I also made new friends in the course and am in contact with some of my fellow students to this day. Robert and Yvonne made me welcome and I am deeply indebted to their kindness support and friendship. Roberts Creek is a beautiful place in the forest and on the sea. The experience did change my life and I know that I will return to the School one day for further study.
Now that I’m back in Sydney I have begun to build a number of pieces of furniture including a side table and two chairs. I am also designing a series of pencil cases in Jarrah a native Australian timber.

 RAUL FAVELA, Chihuahua Mexico, Craftsman & Resident Craftsman Programs - Inside Passage, two words that make me feel so many things. I was fortunate in attending the two year program this school has to offer, the “school of life” I will always refer to it. This place is a place in which I learned to respect so many things, the process on working with wood, the hands that make it  happen and the state of mind that is required to make work of this quality. I was intimidated when I first got there, I had little experience in working with wood, and the technique I brought to the school was nothing but a confused mind trying to make something happen. I never imagined that so many shapes and processes could be made in such a “simple – complex” way. Once started, I realized how fortunate I was in having Robert Van Norman as my teacher, a true honor for me sharing that space with him. Yvonne and Robert have put together a program in a way that I learned concepts and practical solutions that I couldn’t even think about. This program made me be conscious about my skill as a craftsman and as a human being. Roberts Creek is a place in which you will bring your game to the highest possible level, a place in which your mind will flow with the rhythm that nature offers, learning every day about yourself and about your work. Skill is hidden within our selves, and will remain in there if we are not able to recognize our strengths and weaknesses. Mr. James Krenov sends a strong message on each one of his books, messages that will teach each one of us differently. Robert is loyal to the way of teaching that Mr. Krenov will like to see happen in this school; more important to the simplicity of life once you discover yourself. Mr. Krenov wrote on one of his books, “ I don’t love working – it is working well that I love. Inside Passage taught me how to work more than well, it will be now time to make my dreams happen, I am prepared to do so. 

 MELISSA MOURE EVANS, CRAFTSMAN 2010/11 – When I first applied to the Inside Passage, my knowledge of James Krenov was quite limited. Yes, I had heard of him but had not yet read any of his books. I was unprepared as to how profound of an impact this program was going to have on me.

Already in the four months I have attended the program, I know my life has been affected and changed forever. The learning atmosphere is one that resonates with me. Not only are we divulged into this craft and the qualities of wood but it is also a wonderful journey into the self of every single one of us. This has honestly been one of the most challenging, rewarding, and personal growth journeys I have experienced.

 PETER FLAXMAN, ARTISAN/RESIDENT ARTISAN 2010 – I can’t say enough good things about my experience at Inside Passage during the 12 weeks I spent at the school over the Summer of 2010. I’ve attended a few different woodworking schools, and finding a School that instills such thoroughness, integrity and commitment to excellence is very rare.  You can tell that Robert really cares not only about the craft of fine furniture making, but also about being a great teacher.

I signed up for the Artisan Program, where I learned the fundamentals of fine furniture making using hand tools and machines, and then immediately followed that course with the six week Resident Artisan Program, where I was able to put my skills to use building a small cabinet.

I was amazed at how high a level of craftsmanship Robert was able to teach to all of us during the program.  He never takes short cuts or lets students with less experience fall behind.  He was very patient
and always willing to answer questions, even those that were asked repeatedly.  I appreciated how he would put in extra time for individual attention when anything was challenging and also give extra small projects to people who were moving ahead quickly.  When I was working on my cabinet during the second part of the program, Robert was great about giving me the flexibility to design my own piece, but was always available to help me work through problem spots.

The facilities and equipment at the school were excellent and I thought Robert and Yvonne fostered a nice, collegial atmosphere amongst all of the students.  Spending the summer 300 yards from a beach with views of snow-capped mountains in the drop-dead gorgeous Pacific Northwest was a treat as well, although I found myself drawn to the woodshop most of the time.

Inside Passage is a really unique school and I consider myself lucky to have had the time to attend their program.

 OWEN KONSKI, FORT MCMURRAY, ALBERTA – To summarize my experiences during the 6 week Artisan Program is daunting. The program was exceptionally comprehensive with an excellent balance of theory and hands-on with the emphasis on developing hand skills and an intimacy with wood. Robert has a gift of reading a student’s ability and nudging it forward in a positive and rewarding manner. I found the atmosphere to be very fresh and energizing and this I think is due to the influences of Robert, the craftsmen and support staff (Yvonne) of the school. The location of The Inside Passage is an experience of its own. The memories and skills I came home with are a gift of a lifetime. My 6 weeks passed by far too quickly!

 BRENT CURREY, BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WASHINGTON – I met Robert a few years ago when I took a two-week beginning woodworking class at a school in Ontario. I was greatly impressed with his skill and his teaching style and thoroughly enjoyed the course. When I was considering taking another course I learned that he had opened Inside Passage. Since I was very interested in taking another course from Robert, and since it is so close to where I live, I decided to take a one-week course from him in the summer of ’05. While there, I decided to take the nine-month course that fall. I wasn’t working at the time, and didn’t really have any other commitments, so it was an easy decision for me.

I have to say that my time there was an experience of a lifetime. People arrive there from many different situations and backgrounds, but I considered myself pretty fortunate, at age 51, to be able to just drop everything on short notice and take a 9-month woodworking course. There was a real excitement in the beginning, I think partly because we were the first class to go through the program. I’m sure every class has its own dynamic, but as a group we really seemed to come together from the beginning, and throughout the course we enjoyed a supportive, creative environment. Of course, Robert’s teaching style had a lot to do with fostering that environment. The result is that you learn a great deal from your fellow students, from their good ideas, their successes, and even their mistakes. This is implemented formally in the weekly “walkarounds” where each student talks about the progress of their project, but it also happens on a more informal basis because you are in such close contact with the others and naturally curious about their projects.

As far as the technical skills gained through the program, I feel it was a bargain. I suppose some people can teach themselves the skills, or possibly learn through an apprenticeship, but it was unlikely that I would have ever learned on my own what I took away from that course. It gave me a confidence that I lacked. I didn’t know much going into the course, but now I feel that I know how to approach all phases of a project, from concept to completion. We learned a great deal about design. Not just an aesthetic sense, but how to go from idea to sketches, to mockup, to final design, and how to evaluate the design and look for subtle changes that can affect the overall feeling of the piece. I also have a much better understanding of the overall process of furniture building. I now know how to use tools effectively, and how to modify them or make my own for special tasks. When I returned to my shop after completing the course, I noticed that it was almost as if my hands knew what to do without me having to think about it. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that I still have a lot to learn, but I know that this will come from experience. The course let me take a leap to a level of skill and confidence that would have taken me years to achieve.

Roberts Creek is in a beautiful area, and the town itself has a real charm and friendliness. The Pacific Northwest is like nowhere else, and I think people from the East are particularly amazed at its unique beauty.

As the course progresses, you will spend more time in the shop, including weekends and evenings. But the truth is, Roberts Creek doesn’t offer that many distractions, and the school is where your friends are. At times the course can be stressful, particularly when you are trying to meet a project deadline. But as I mentioned to another student while I was there, if we weren’t working this hard, we wouldn’t feel we were getting our money’s worth.

Robert and Yvonne are truly kind and generous people who have thrown all of themselves into this endeavor, and it really shows. Being part of that group gave me a real sense of community. In fact, I still visit occasionally to try to keep that connection and always come home feeling inspired and recharged.

 JIM ASTORIAN, KRONBERGE, GERMANY – Driving back gave me lots of time to think about my time at Inside Passage and appreciate the experience. I really miss the time in the shop with all of you. I enjoyed the experience more than I can describe. Being there 6 consecutive weeks makes a tremendous difference in your emotional attachment to the people and to the type of work you are doing. Looking back at my time with you, I know that I made the right decision choosing Inside Passage and spending 6 weeks in Roberts Creek.

I am re-reading The Fine Art of Cabinet Making and appreciate its sentiments for the first time, especially the first 60 pages. Thanks to you, Robert, and to Jim for the inspiration to spend more time feeling, listening, smelling – just sensing wood. I have no idea if what I make will be any good, but it will be more in tune with the wood itself.

I know first-hand how tough it is to make a start-up operation work financially. I also understand the emotional and physical strain that it brings to the proprietors. I think the way you two work together is impressive. Keep that alive and Robert please stay healthy! In addition to providing kudos for both of you, however, I would like to support the school in some way that makes sense. I was thinking about helping you build out the gallery with student work. I would make available for the next 3 years an amount each year for acquiring student work. The pieces would stay in the gallery for 2 years after acquisition date and then would be mine to leave there or move. The gallery would win, in that it has more work to display. The students would have some income. I would acquire beautiful work at a fair price.

 PAUL GORT, WHITEHORSE, YUKON – I really enjoyed my time at the school; it certainly exceeded my expectations. Robert is an excellent teacher and his passion for fine work is evident throughout the courses. Every time the students showed an interest in a topic outside the confines of the course Robert was eager to share additional knowledge and responded enthusiastically to any questions we had. Both Michael and Cody were also excellent teachers and craftsman.

The classes were small enough that even when they were full there was still plenty of opportunity for individual instruction. The shop and the bench room were well laid out and equipped and the tools available for purchase at the school were top quality and well priced. Robert was also very generous with his own tools, so that students could try out a variety tools before deciding to purchase.

One of the biggest benefits of the classes were the presence of the craftsman students in the shop, they were a wealth of knowledge and it was a pleasure to watch them work, to discuss techniques and to see which tools they used. Yvonne was also exceptionally organized and kept the courses running smoothly. Everyone at the school was very open and friendly creating a great environment for learning.

I look forward to taking more courses at the school. Thanks again for your hospitality while I was in ‘the Creek’.

 DON BRETT, WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Just a note to thank you for an excellent course. Clear instructions, well-paced and meticulous within a relaxed environment. You have a great facility in an outstanding location.

 JAMIE LATURNUS, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – I want to take this opportunity to thank you for a wonderful week in the Dovetails and Tool Making program (Inside Passage School of fine Woodworking). You have shown me how to take a hobby, which I have always enjoyed, to a new level, to something that is now so much more. Your teaching was informative and your words inspirational. Please pass on my gratitude to everyone who had a part in creating such an extraordinary place.

 CODY BRADFORD, INVERMERE, BRITISH COLUMBIA – I had the opportunity to spend 12 weeks in the winter of 2003 at a course Robert was teaching. I can easily say the experience would have paled in comparison had Robert not been the head instructor. His overall woodworking knowledge and unfaltering commitment to craftsmanship was unprecedented and infectious to all his students throughout the three months. I was excited to hear he had the good fortune to open his own school and look forward to taking a course as soon as I have a chance. I’m confident that as well as a fantastic school, Inside Passage will foster a “community” of craftsmen.

 KAREL AELTERMAN, GATINEAU, QUÉBEC – I have always been impressed by people who have been doing woodworking since they were kids. I thought that this was the only way to become a talented, successful cabinetmaker. I didn’t discover woodworking myself, however, until I moved to Canada in my early thirties. This paradigm kept me from developing a career as a furniture maker for quite some time. But the desire to become a cabinetmaker did not go away. As time went by, it was becoming more evident that enhancing the inherent beauty of wood was very fulfilling for me.

In 2003, I realized the time had come for me to face some of those old fears and circumstances led me to discover a course offered in Ontario where Robert Van Norman, as resident-instructor, was at that time the driving force behind a twelve-week intensive artisan cabinetmaking course.

Robert is able to translate his craftsmanship and passion into a thrilling experience for all students. He is an inspiring teacher and a warm person. He gave me confidence in my ability to accomplish fine work and helped me explore and discover my own personal sensitivity towards materials and form.

 ANNA GREEN, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – I have taken several classes from Robert and in each one I have been thoroughly impressed with the caliber of his teaching and his craftsmanship. Robert is a patient and competent instructor with a talent for understanding what his students want to know when they ask a question. Robert inspires me to put forth my best effort in my projects and not to settle for “good enough”. I very much look forward to taking classes from him in the future.

 TOM DULL, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – I can’t say enough good things about Robert Van Norman’s skill as a teacher. I never thought that I would have the patience or skill to hand-cut dovetails or hand plane surfaces and edges. As a matter of fact I would have considered myself a skeptic. I did know that there was something about woodwork done by Krenov students that just seemed “right”. This led me to a basic woodworking class taught by Robert. What a revelation! I still use all my machines, but then I can shut them off, open the doors, listen to music (or shavings) and really enjoy the wood.

Yes, I can make subtle edges and sweet surfaces. I can cut refined dovetails with a chisel. Robert’s skill with both wood and students of all abilities makes studying with him a true joy. He gives clear demonstrations, then gently cajoles his students into doing better work than they thought possible.

 SCOTT PARKINSON, OTTAWA, ONTARIO – I consider myself extremely fortunate to have studied with Robert over 12 weeks in 2003. Robert was a patient and insightful instructor teaching both basic and advanced techniques, helping to tie them together with the necessary philosophy, approach and attitude that inspire a desire for perfection. His own knowledge, personal skill and dedication were invaluable as a teacher and mentor. Robert went above and beyond to make the course an amazing personal experience. For anyone interested in fine woodworking, I highly recommend the chance to study with Robert and his team. You can enter with few skills but a wish to learn, and leave with a solid working foundation and ignited passion.

 KARIN MATCHETT, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT – I spent two weeks in Robert Van Norman’s class‚ in Ontario 2003, and I am thrilled now to start making treks from Minnesota to the west coast. Robert’s depth of knowledge about furniture-building will benefit any woodworker who approaches tools and wood with curiosity and love. But what Robert can do with furniture and wood is only half of it. He is a natural teacher: attentive, patient, generous, and smiling. Robert treats his students with great respect. My questions were welcome every step of the way, even when they sounded suspiciously like the questions of the day before and the day before that. Robert meets his students exactly where they are and simultaneously pushes them forward. I would travel to Tierra del Fuego for the program offered at Inside Passage; I’m grateful it’s only to Roberts Creek! (Although South America would be nice, too.)