Martin O’Brien

For almost 40 years I have designed, built and conserved wooden objects as well as carved letters in stone. I began working in cabinet shops after getting out of school and after five years of working and learning from others, I began working for myself. I do have some formal training in conservation, science, art etc, but I’ve learned most from simply doing the work of which a large part is making mistakes and fixing them. fellow craftspeople as well as clients have also been extremely generous. I’m a sum of many parts. I hope to work as long as I am able.

I don’t like the title ‘master’. I’m simply a craftsperson. I do think after all these years that I’m finally a good student. I’m also passing what I know along to younger folks. For the past 6 years I’ve worked with a very motivated and talented young person who prefers to remain anonymous online. (you can meet them when you visit the shop).

I spend my most of my waking hours at my workbench fixing ,making and designing things. I don’t keep up with social media like I should, but honestly, it’s more fun to work than to post pictures from my phone. (Where do people find the time for social media? It’s taken me a few years just to get this site up and running).

I welcome feedback/criticism from you (clients and colleagues) so I can continue to offer work in the best possible manner.

Long Version (career advice for aspiring conservators and craftspeople):

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved working with my hands. So it was an easy decision to choose this as a career after graduation (Hampden-Sydney College, BA, 1987 Psychology/Spanish). My professional training has been both on-the-job as well as formal/academic. (CV/Resumé)

After graduation, I began working for a few different woodworking shops in the Chapel Hill, NC area. At this same time, I also began teaching Spanish at UNC-Chapel Hill in their Evening College. My wife, who I married in 1986, was starting graduate school in romance languages. For six years, I was teacher by night and apprentice woodworker by day. Teaching was wonderful and I met incredible people, mostly older professionals who worked full-time during the day. They had serious dedication. More than I ever had as a privileged undergraduate.

During this time, I also worked for an engineer (Thomas Grisham) at the UNC-CH power plant that was undergoing a large expansion at the time. One of my tasks was to hire and work with an acoustic engineer (Dr. John Stewart) to address noise issues at the plant. He coincidentally designed cutter heads for the woodworking industry as well as taught wood science at NC State University. After over 30 years, I am still in contact with both these people.

The experience was invaluable particularly because it showed me that I was not cut out for government/corporate bureaucracy and that I should return to the more solitary career of woodworker. I enjoy fine, if not excruciating, detail and tight tolerances. Still, other more experienced craftspeople suggested I avoid woodworking as a career unless I was willing to accept the unstable and often miserable financial prospects. Conversely, there were people in this large government bureaucracy cheering me on to start my own woodworking business and do something most people are afraid to do.

I was VERY fortunate to have the moral and financial support of my wife. She encouraged me to follow this path and refused to let me quit when I was ready to pack it in. We’re still together. While I do work hard, I feel luck has played a part in things working out for me. I also give credit to a long list of people who have taught, helped. etc. See below.

Since moving to Winston Salem, NC in 1993, I’ve focused primarily on furniture conservation and restoration. This city is blessed with the 200+ year history of the Moravians who founded town of Salem as well as nearby Bethania and Bethabara. This has resulted in an appreciation for the preservation of the objects they created. Located within Old Salem is the MESDA (Museum of Early Southern Decorative Art). The museum not only houses the finest collection of pre-industrial Southern decorative arts but is the leading center of scholarship and research of early Southern material culture. I’ve been fortunate to have a close relationship with MESDA and Old Salem. Their collection and educational programs are a must see for craftspeople, collectors or anyone who enjoys getting off the sofa once in a while. I owe my level of knowledge to the first-rate scholars at MESDA.

In 1996, I had the good fortune to meet John Stevens, an internationally renowned artist specializing in letterforms and graphic design. John and I collaborate on a wide variety of projects primarily focused on hand-cut letters in stone and wood. John is a rare mixture of working artist combined and scholar/teacher. I continue to study under John and consider him my most important influence. I recommend his books and classes to ANY artist or craftsperson. John teaches online through his website John Stevens and in person through https://www.calligraphycentre.com/cheerio. (young conservators wanting to improve their brush handling skills for inpainting should take one of John’s brush lettering classes. Warning: brush lettering is highly addictive as are the calligraphy retreats at Camp Cheerio).

Credit where credit due:

If I know anything that’s worth a damn, it’s thanks to a long list of individuals and businesses who have taught me.

My parents and siblings/family (I hit the lottery from birth)

Teachers: John Noell Moore, Cindy Stevens, Ed Crawford, Jorge Silveira, Mike Wilson, Federico de los Cobos,

Jim Kirkpatrick and Dan Woerner of Chapel Hill, NC with whom I worked right out of college. They both impressed upon me that ‘good enough’ is not good enough.

The Cleora-Sterling Corporation, another cabinet shop in Chapel Hill where I worked. They allowed me to use the shop on nights and weekends. I essentially lived there for 3 years.

Tom Grisham taught me to NEVER overlook the obvious and to appreciate the value of making mistakes. See Grisham’s Laws

Ned Hipp of Bethania North Carolina was perhaps the most skilled cabinetmaker/conservator/gunsmith I’ve ever known. I met him while I was still living and working in Chapel Hill. When my wife told me in 1993 that we were moving to Winston Salem, I couldn’t have been happier because this meant I’d be minutes away from Ned. He spent many hours mentoring me and sending work my way. If you believe in reincarnation then I would guess that Ned was an artist like Vermeer or Leonardo in a previous life. He was unimaginably talented in so many ways, not just woodwork. He passed away at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and I while I certainly miss him, I feel that he’s still here guiding me the way so many colleagues who have passed continue to do.

Jesús Requena Lozano of Madrid, Spain - https://www.instagram.com/jesus_requena_lozano/

I met Jesus in the 1990’s while visiting family in Spain. He’s an amazing furniture conservator and scholar who has taught me about materials and techniques I never would have come across here in the United States.