July 13, 2011
Wood Toy News www.toymakerpress.com
Matunuck, Rhode Island farmer and craftsman says toys are just fun!
Each toy is made one at a time, by hand, using native woods such as maple, pine and oak and antique tools including a 150-year-old lathe. Article by Jenna Pelletier, Providence Journal Eric Swanson of Calf Pasture Woodworks creates themed wooden toys, including figures of sheep, horses and farmers. Swanson works from a studio on his 5-acre farm in Matunuck surrounded by sheep, pigs, cows and other animals. Each toy is made one at a time, by hand, using native woods such as maple, pine and oak
and antique tools including a 150-year-old lathe. A longtime woodworker, Swanson began making toys for his kids, now ages 9, 11 and 15, a few years ago as a hobby. “The toys are wholesome and evocative of a simpler time, a more sustainable time,” said Swanson, who holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Rhode Island School of Design. He uses no toxic finishes on the toys. www.toymakerpress.com
Swanson works from a studio on his 5-acre farm in Matunuck surrounded by sheep, pigs, cows and other animals.
Lathe-turned oxen showcase Eric’s woodturning and design skills.