Mark Whitley began his journey as an artist nearly 30 years ago. Growing up in a cabinet shop on the family farm in Southern Kentucky, he began to learn traditional methods of furniture making that are the heart of his work today. In a small shop nestled in the outskirts of Smiths Grove, KY, Mark now creates contemporary, original furniture of native hardwoods in much the same way it was done years ago; by hand, one piece at a time. The process of creating these works can be both exhausting and exhilarating as heavy square boards are turned into furniture that seems to live and breathe in Mark’s shop. The design ideas are captured as they come to him, many times scribbled on scrap paper or wood at odd hours of the night. The details are worked out at the bench by instinct and experience. Mark’s real excitement comes when the first coat of paint is applied and the grain and color of the wood come alive.
As Mark often says, “Furniture making has never been a job or a career…
it’s just what I do.”
Mark Whitley
Mark Whitley Limited Edition Furniture
Smiths Grove, Ky.
http://www.mwhitley.com
mark@mwhitley.com