The three principals at Four Sisters Woodworking – Harry Van Ornum, Scotty Lyons and Les Cizek – share a beautiful, state of the art woodworking and textiles studio in the mountains above Fort Bragg, California. Four sisters, you ask? Well, sisters in spirit; the fourth being long-gone Dixie Whipple. All three accept students for short-term intensive courses of individual instruction.
Van Ornum’s, a master cabinetmaker, is influenced by Shaker simplicity, Craftsman detail and Japanese style; his most succesful work (like this amazing desk / storage tansu (pictured), this Craftsman / Japanese cabinet, and the various small tables and boxes he’s built over the years) combine elements of all these aesthetics. Cizek’s work complements Van Ornum, in its deceptive simplicity; some of his less orthodox designs are particularly striking and much more modern.
Lyons is both business manager and head textile designer & weaver at Four Sisters. She produces custom textiles for upholstery, as well as rugs and many other types of textile products, and is particularly interested in experimenting with pleated cloth.
good for starting a family business…