The Art of Fine Woodcraft

by Deva Moore

Art is creative and enchanting. The artist has an innate sense of beauty and sometimes it appears when the artist is very young and sometimes the artist finds themselves pursuing their passion later in life. When the artist has a mentor who guides and provides the motivation necessary to pursue their passion the journey evolves quickly and the art unfolds into the most beautiful gift.

Andy Rawls is one of those artists. At a young age, Andy became interested in the beauty of wood furniture artistry. He started building furniture with his dad while he was in high school. He chose other journeys in life, attending Baylor where he studied telecommunications for a time, until he decided that woodworking was his calling. In 2012, he started Andy Rawls Fine Woodcraft in his garage. Having studied under such masters as Paul Sellers and Frank Strazza, Rawls learned valuable information and earned a great appreciation for handcrafted and handmade. After graduating from Baylor, Andy enjoyed the opportunity to briefly apprentice under Brian Boggs in Kentucky. He has also worked under Brent Catterton of Catterton Woodworks, absorbing even more wood crafting ideas and education. Throughout his career, Rawls has built furniture and other wood pieces for clients all over the United States, and a few have made it overseas.

Andy values the durability and longevity of custom handcrafted, heirloom quality pieces of furniture and other wood products. He requires quality and craftsmanship from everything he offers. Rawls still has his first small pine box that he built. It sits in his windowsill in his shop as a reminder of the beauty and elusiveness of his craft. The beauty is obvious and the elusiveness of his craft, well Andy uses it as a reminder of the little imperfections – unnoticeable to the untrained eye are all of the little mistakes he sees.

Woodworking is an ever evolving craft. The woodcrafter can always see how he could have improved or created a more advanced product. Determined to provide an heirloom quality piece, Andy strives for the best and sturdiest workmanship available.

As a master himself, Andy has his own YouTube channel so that he may share his craft and expertise with his fans. His education in telecommunications aids him in his YouTube endeavors. Rawls walks his viewers through each step of handcrafting his beautiful wood projects, showcasing the quality and workmanship clearly.

Andy finds today’s mass market furniture that many consumers fill their homes with is of quality that is not truly handmade or handcrafted. He creates a wood product that is created for generations of use and enjoyment. His products are designed with all of the heart and soul of quality sturdiness to last for years. Andy feels that as a generation we are losing the appreciation of family generation narrative and history. While his furniture does not capture that appreciation for everyone, it does fill a comfortable void. He crafts elegant bedroom sets, dining room tables, living room furniture and other home goods. His business has grown steadily, mostly by word of mouth. And that is how Andy likes it, keeping things personal. Andy keeps a list of his requested work and if you are interested, then now is the time to contact him to get on the list for your own beautiful wood piece. Commission work is how to obtain a special piece of your own and I urge you to contact him today because he shared with me that his work is already on a 4-5 month waiting list right now!

Andy does woodcrafting the way they did way back in the days of quality. He does not glue, staple or nail the pieces together, but prefers to use tried and true old school methods for longevity and sturdiness to last for generations as family heirloom quality. For those who know quality furniture then they understand joinery and Andy uses joinery of old. If the wood piece does not have AR on it then it is not Andy Rawls.

Andy has a lifetime warranty on his products, giving a peace of mind to the owner knowing that Rawls stands behind the quality of is work.

If you are interested in obtaining a piece of furniture from Rawls, he offers an online catalogue or you can contact him and describe what is desired. He can do almost anything and the finished product will amaze. Everything is completely crafted in his shop from start to finish.

Andy has many different types of wood in his toolbox, so to speak, and a visit with him on your project will find him suggesting and recommending just the right wood. He works with Texas Pecan, oak, mesquite, Cypress and many more. He has even done a wood project with teak. He has quite a remarkable talent list of projects to share and seeks the best pieces for the designated project. It is then cut and fit together so that it may be permanently fused or joined. Andy assured me that all of his projects are meticulously chosen from woods that are large enough for the entire project. No project is piece milled together from various grains, but all from the same tree.

Once finished, the wood is sealed for a protective finish and desired look. Even the sealing is appropriate for the long term to last for years with the proper care. Some of his more memorable pieces were a bookshelf that converted into a photo booth for a client and his wife, and he recently rebuilt a carriage out of pecan for a canon at the Alamo in San Antonio. Andy has done many pieces for the HEB foundation, including a waterfall style table and bench and an oval starburst table top. He was also honored to create a table for Season 2 of the The Chosen. Due to the marvel of what Andy can do with wood, most any of his work is memorable and gorgeous!!!

Andy enjoys the German historic influence in some of the region’s historical pieces of furniture. He shared with me that “…he is not doing anything different than they did hundreds of years ago...I am creating the next antique of tomorrow…” pretty special for today’s standards.

If you are interested in having Rawls create an heirloom piece of furniture for you, contact him soon. It “wood” be a shame if you missed out on a beautiful piece you can hand down to future generations!