Arts & Oddities - Alexander Franke Fine Woodwork

Arts & Oddities

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Each uniquely styled “Woodland Cottage” has been individually crafted from natural materials found in the environs of northern New Hampshire. These distinctive works add an artistic flair to anyone’s garden, conservatory or home décor.

Prices start at:

Complete Cottage on 58” Interwoven Stand with Stone Base – $890
Woodland Cottage – $495
58” Interwoven Stand with Stone Base and High Gloss Finish – $395
30” Interwoven Plant Stand with Stone Base and High Gloss Finish – $295

Personalized messages are +/- $75 (small straight letters are best, “BOBBYS BOOGIE ABODE” may be more).

“The Sorting Hat": WANTED - Landscape architect with client, willing to scale up to a child sized 1 ½ storied cottage. Incorporated with planted, living structural elements, Rapunzel balcony and all the Hobbit charm you can imagine.

...and on the Sixth Day...thank the Lord I wasn’t involved in His labor, or picnics would be quite different!

30” Interwoven Plant Stand - $295

If not in stock one needs patience, for it is only in a short springtime window, when the swamps flood and sap flows, that we can harvest and construct the years supply.

Woodland Cottage on large stand with secondary plant shelf and artist lichen - $890

Thank you…our bluebirds will be amazed by the step up in their housing! – Robbie W.

…and I promptly rearranged my living room for your art work. – Wendy M.

Send us your friends and families’ invitations and we will re-create a custom inlayed and engraved serving tray from their design, to remember their special day.

Cherry Serving Tray with Inlays of Cocobolo, Bubinga, Ebony, Pink Ivory, Kingwood and Olivewood. (Keyhole slot on back for wall mounting.) Pricing is based upon the detail and complexity of each piece.

c. 2014 - 35 yrs. later, I am amazed that I still find such depth and satisfaction from both woodworking and chess. Hopefully my “moves” have improved in complexity and elegance.

Custom Chess Board

Light and dark squares are of the same Amboyna Burl. For the light colored squares I used a combination of acids and chlorine to “suck the life out of it”.
Algebraic notation engraved on Tiger Maple.
Greco Roman inlayed border.
Staunton 4X leaded Ebony and Boxwood pieces.

“Win a Prize” - Name this position and win coffee, shortbread and a 3 rnd G/25 d3 unr. – U2882 afternoon entertainment. It’s the juxtaposition of a chessboards elegance, to the games savagery, which I do enjoy, and try to bring out when appropriate in all my works.

Burlap & Burls (Shabby Chic Navy Beans)

Chronos - This small item may best exemplify my principal philosophy, Blending Old World Craftsmanship with New Designs. Just as the chess world can strongly divide over the romantic mechanical clack of an analog clock vs functionality and digital accuracy, me, I have a foot in both camps. Chronos, arguably claims and is considered the world’s finest chess clock, albeit modern. After replacing the steel, plastic and chrome with Ebony, Abalone, Pearl, American sycamore, acid and chemically altered Brass (for that 1812 look), well then I might humbly say that this is THE world’s finest clock, and that both camps can be happy.

Retractable handle, dovetailed Bubinga feet, and eight magnets with locking clasp to snuggly hold the boxed pieces, clock, notepad, one baloney sarnie, and a banana. And off to tournament we go!

c. 1979 - A 19 years olds attempt. Crude potential but still has its own charm. Curiously, I had only an average cursory child’s understanding of these 64 squares.

Zen Box (For me I believe the “Zen” was more in the creative design and its execution.)

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I once read that wood is better for the hair than plastic.

A quiet morning in the Jurassic jungle...

Our hero’s arrival strikes fear into the native species of “Uncanny Valley”...

CRUNCH!

FIN!

Dirty Harry’s .44 and Alex’s supersized fully functional “magnum” rubber band shooter.

Custom Eagle Knife with carved bone handle and scrimshawed sheath. - by C.M. Franke

Visiting children anticipate digging for the sunken treasure, and amazingly play quietly as adults visit. “…..thank you for our visit, I like ur box, if u do not, I reely do.” - J & B (ages 5 & 6)

An exercise in reinventing the spoon...

Home of Warm Wood™

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The elegant heating system at a fraction of the cost of radiant flooring systems. Choose the wood, stain or paint to match your décor. Replace those rusted and dented living room heaters to create a dramatic inviting new look today!