About
I began Watson Woodworks in 1990 in an old 1200 square foot loft just outside of Chinatown in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to woodworking, I designed electronic components for the black boxes in military airplanes. My interest in woodworking evolved from my childhood and was influenced by my father and grandfather. I chose to pursue woodworking over an electronics career because I am able to express my creativity with my hands and design innovative pieces in a relatively short period of time. I am now recognized nationally and internationally for my urns and boxes.
My urns involve the use of very traditional tools such as bench chisels, planes, and files, to high tech modern machinery. All of my designs utilize my engineering skills in math, geometry, trigonometry, drawing, etc. I machine my own metal parts; 3D print plant based plastic parts and utilize leather and Paua/Abalone shell in many of my designs. The woods I use are exotic and domestic figured hardwoods of the highest quality.
Below are some of the books and articles I'm featured in:
• The Art of Making Elegant Jewelry Boxes, Tony Lydgate, (New York, N.Y.: Sterling Publishers, 1996). 128-129.
• Designed and built an ornament for the White House permanent collection in 1996.
• Fine Decorative Boxes, Andrew Crawford, (New York, N.Y.: Sterling Publishers, 1998). 139.
• Wrote article “Mystery Box” American Woodworker magazine #65 (April 1998): 48-51.
• Celebrating Boxes, (Hertford, U.K.: Stobart Davies, 2001). 147-149. Peter Lloyd and Andrew Crawford
• 400 Wood Boxes, The Fine Art of Containment & Concealment, (Lark Books, 2004). 321-323, spine.
Please reach out with any questions:
Eugene Watson
Watson Woodworks, LLC