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The Centre for Fine Woodworking
465 Wakapuaka Rd

RD1 Nelson 7071

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Josephine Jelicich

FMP TESTIMONIALS

Josephine Jelicich

CFW

Furniture Makers’ Programme - 2018

I assumed I did need more experience than I had. Even though it was explained that you didn’t, at the time my level of experience was fairly minimal. I had been to art school, so was used to making very ad-hoc things, but I was not that confident on machines or with tools. Although I was practical-minded, I really felt like I couldn’t make anything without a lot of help. I couldn’t imagine that I could be accepted into the course, but after a phone call I realised it was possible. I found the idea of having to find a house and move quite hard, but the school was really helpful.

The course was very involved. It was full immersion into woodwork. I found it hard to sleep some nights thinking about how to cut joinery and angles and how things went together, but I think this is exactly what you want after making the move to Nelson and committing finances and time. At the same time, it is self-directed, so you don’t have to go as mad as me.

I loved that the course was not marked or graded in a traditional school/university way, as it meant we could really focus on the practical learning and design elements without bureaucracy. I found it to be the equivalent of something like four years of university practical learning packed into nine months. It is up to you to be organised and take notes in the ways that work, but this self-directed approach teaches you a lot about the way you learn. I still remember all the techniques and lessons today, as they were taught with great clarity.

The challenge is making the most of the course, putting your full attention into it and getting through the many mistakes you will make. Nelson was an amazing place to live and study woodwork — a peaceful and beautiful place with lots of inspiration, which is an absolute bonus.

For me, I had no experience, so it introduced a way of thinking about woodworking and gave me the confidence to be a woodworker. Before starting the full-time course, I had very little knowledge of woodwork or making. I knew what objects and styles I was drawn to, and my time at the Centre shaped the beginning of developing my own personal style.

The skills I was able to learn, in the bigger scheme, are just a stepping stone into the beginning of woodworking. As you will see, it is a never-ending path of learning; I imagine it never stops. The Full-Time Furniture Makers’ Programme gave me a solid foundation to build onto — teaching us about what machines we needed and the basics of workshop maintenance, as well as the essential skills and knowledge needed to go out on your own.

As mentioned before, I knew almost nothing before attending, and afterwards was able to understand design and wood movement, build complex pieces and use almost every machine needed. Once I left the school, it had its own challenges of not having a teacher by my side at all times to ask a million questions too, but this challenge of building my own workshop and experience up has been very rewarding.

The school course I did is the most important thing I have done for my career in woodwork. I would not have one if it wasn’t for the school. Something I really love about what I learned at the Full-Time Furniture Makers’ Programme is the importance of the craft: doing things with love and to a high standard, learning sometimes the hardest way to do it by hand and then the more modern way.

Learning a traditional craft is so valuable, especially now where many practical skills are no longer being taught as much in places like university. I find these skills are what sets my work apart from many.

I am always grateful to all the amazing and high-calibre teachers I had. I was able to work in many fields with the skills I learned — gallery technician, building walls and various structures, teaching woodwork, and now running my own business doing a range of personal projects and bespoke commissions for various architects. It has not been hard to find work in many practical fields with the skills the course taught me. There are many avenues you can take.

If you feel drawn to furniture and are looking for something that is endlessly fulfilling and challenging, whether it be something you want to build a career with or add to an existing job that requires more practical thinking, understanding and actual making skills, then this is for you.