One of the big events of this trip was nephew David's completion of his meisterwerk for the Master Craftsman program at Handwerkskammer Wiesbaden. This is a big deal for David who came into this program after years pursuing a university degree, working as a bartender and eventually finding his way to Germany to work as an apprentice in his uncle George's cabinet making shop. He discovered that he loved working with wood and began the program a little older and wiser and probably more motivated than many of his peers.
The final project was a custom designed piece that included various elements of design, cabinet making and joinery to demonstrate the full capabilities of the student in all aspects of furniture making. There were many exceptional pieces among the 15 or so student works, but David's desk stood out with a simple outward design that reveals it's complex yet elegant inner functionality as it is opened up. The beautiful design and execution of his piece, along with David's unique story of coming from America to Germany put him in the limelight as he was interviewed by one of the school officials in front of a live audience at the reception celebrating the completion of the projects. David was asked about various aspects of the design, his experience and his future plans, including moving back to the US to pursue his vocation.
