I was talking working in wood with Linda

I've stopped drawing my dock scene because I came across some old photographs of Mississippi Paddle Steamers. The Shipwright-me and the artist-me, ganged up on simple-me ... mes' took a vote on it, and I am to draw a series of  the 'old gals'  (walks off whistling tunes from "Showboat")


Linda (from L.W. Roth, Out On a Limb) and I, both love furniture making, and as I am now some way off posting my next picture I thought I would show you  'another side of me' (multi-faceted  John). This will allow me to chat with Linda at the same time!

OK, so I'm called Gatepost Pictures because Pat drove the car through the gate whilst she was learning to drive in the 1960s - I should add the gate was shut at the time. I carved the remains of a gatepost into Maka Tiki, the Polynesian Tiki who looks after families - we called it a Gatepost Production, then later we became Gatepost Pictures.


It's the only thing I ever carved, but I am a fully trained boat builder (Shipwright), so working in wood is second nature.

But I'm also a writer, whilst Pat is an avid reader ... as we have miles of books I decided we needed a library. I turned the round facings on my lathe, and churned out bookcases. (There are a lot more bookcases since these picture were taken... these photos were WIP.

                                                 Click on Pictures for Best Result

I also made the panelled ceiling to make it all very light for reading. I'd started panelled ceilings in 1998 in response to being written off by the medics. Here are a few:

This one is Brazilian mahogany and Sapelle in the sitting room. (above)

An American White Oak ceiling in a bedroom. With a glimpse of a four poster bed, below, which I made in Hemlock (the tree not the poison)

Below is the hall in Californian Black Walnut

Here's a Welsh Dresser I made for the dining room. Notice the shaped pelmet on it, which is my signature (you can see it replicated on the bookcases)

These custom built units also have my signature, I made them to fit the breakfast room that I have built; it faces east for the rising sun)

I have just completed the master bedroom ceiling and made period shutters at the same time

You can see the shutters below

My current project is a four poster bed for the master bedroom - below are the posts I turned on my lathe, and then varnished. Each post has to be made in two parts and the glued together. The wood is my favourite - mahogany.