MASTER WOODCARVER, Patrick Damiaens

Master craftsman

Beautiful and highly ornamented Liège-style furniture is still being carved today, thanks to the specialist skills of master craftsman Patrick Damiaens.

by Denzil Walton

In the 17^th century the Belgian town of Liège became highly prosperous due to its coal mining, metal processing and glass refining industries. It evolved into a fashionable residence for princes, aristocracy and wealthy merchants who had money to spend on lavish, expensive furniture. 

The best craftsmen from the surrounding region were invited to work in Liège. The city soon became famous for its Liège-style furniture. It is characterized by beautifully and delicately carved decoration, usually with a thickness of only 5 mm. 400 years on, Liège-style furniture is still being created and carved to the highest levels of quality. 

Grinling gibbons style of carving

  

From his workshop in Maaseik, Belgium, Patrick Damiaens is a reassuring reminder that even in these days of mass-manufactured furniture, there is still a demand for the traditional skills of a master artisan. 
Damiaens is the only full-time ornamental wood carver in Flanders – the Dutch-speaking half of Belgium – a unique position of which he is immensely proud. “There are a few part-timers and hobbyists in Flanders, but no-one who earns his living doing what I do,” he says.

Foliage carving in limewood

High-relief carving in limewood

 What he does is certainly impressive. He works in close cooperation with four colleagues: a staircase-maker, two cabinet-makers and a furniture restorer. 

Between them they turn planks of rough French oak into the most stunningly attractive cupboards, chests of drawers, wardrobes, door frames, staircases, stereo cabinets and decorative panels. “In fact, if you have the budget, we could make and decorate virtually any item of furniture,” Damiaens exclaims enthusiastically.

Patrick Damiaens

 To make an item of Liège-style furniture is a highly complex process. The preparatory technical drawings can take a full month, as every item of furniture decorated by Damiaens is unique and requires a totally new set of drawings. 
His first task is to make a rough sketch of the pattern, which might be based on an original item of furniture or created uniquely by Damiaens himself and drawn in the Liège-style. 
This is then presented to the customer, and after any necessary amendments are made, the final technical drawing is redrawn on tracing paper and pinned to the selected panel of wood. The design is then transferred onto the wood, which in most cases is French oak.

Liege style carving

The next stage is the only time that Damiaens uses a machine (apart from one to sharpen his tools). He skilfully manipulates an electric milling machine to remove the bulk of the wood surrounding the design, after which the actual hand carving can begin.

Damiaens first uses a home-made scraper to remove the rough edges and excess wood missed by the milling machine, before bringing his vast collection of Swiss-made razor-sharp wood carving chisels into action. Once the carving is completed, the panel is returned to the cabinet-maker who treats it and incorporates it into the intended item of furniture.

Music Trophy carved in walnut

 One reason why Damiaens likes his job is the variety of projects he is asked to undertake. As well as the larger items of furniture which take a year to complete, he carves and decorates a range of smaller items. At the end of a long working day he tries to find time to work on projects for his own house. He is currently building and decorating new kitchen cabinets.

As to the future, Damiaens likes to set himself new carving challenges, his latest being to work in the style of Grinling Gibbons, one of his heroes. “Working mostly in lime wood, Gibbons is particularly well-known for his exquisite cascades of flowers, fruit and leaves, which were applied to paneling, furniture, walls and even chimneys,” explains Damiaens. “So detailed were his carvings that in certain light they look natural and lifelike, and have been likened to lacework. I think he is the finest wood carver of all time.”

Carved Room-Panelling 

 More information :

 www.patrickdamiaens.be

CUSTOM-MADE WALL-PANELLING | Carved Panelling

Carved Wall-Panelling by 

Ornamental woodcarver Patrick Damiaens

In the 17th century, the Belgian town of Liege became highly prosperous through its coal mining, metal processing and glass refining industries.

Over the years, it evolved into a fashionable residence for princes, aristocracy and wealthymerchants who could spend lavishly on expensive furniture.

As most skilled craftsmen from the surrounding regions were invited to work there, the city soon became famous for furniture characterized by beautifully and delicately carved decoration.

Carved Panelling

Three hundred years later, Liege-style furniture is still being created and carved to the highest levels of quality.

From his workshop in Maaseik, Belgium, Patrick Damiaens is a reassuring reminder that even in these days of mass-manufactured furniture, there is still a demand for the traditional skills of a master artisan. 

Damiaens studied three years at the Don Bosco Institute in Liege, where he learned the complex trade of ornamental woodcarving. He spent six years studying furniture- making and one year woodcarving in his hometown of Maaseik. Today, Damiaens is the only full-time ornamental woodcarver inFlanders, the Dutch-speaking half of Belgium.

Patrick works in close cooperation with four colleagues: a staircase-maker, two cabinet-makers and a furniture restorer. 

Between them, they turn planks of rough French oak into stunning cupboards, chests of drawers, wardrobes, doors, frames, staircases, stereo cabinets and decorative panels.

We can make and decorate virtually any item of furniture,” Damiaens exclaims enthusiastically.

Carved panelling for bathroom door

To make an item of Liege-style furniture is ahighly complex process. The preparatory technical drawings can take a full month and everyitem of furniture requires a totally new set of drawings.

 His first task is to make a rough sketch of the pattern, which might be based on an original item of furniture or created by Damiaens himself.

 This is then presented to the customer. The final technical drawing is redrawn on tracing paper and pinned to the selected panel of wood. 

The design is then transferred onto the wood, which inmost cases is French oak.

The next stage is the only time that Damiaens uses a machine (apart from one to sharpen his tools). He skillfully manipulates a router to remove the bulk of the wood surrounding the design, after which the actual hand carving can begin. 

With respect, patience and much artistic craft, Damiaens carves each motif until he finds the right expression and character. 

Once the carving is completed, the panel is returned to the cabinetmaker to be treated and incorporated into the intended piece of furniture, be it an 18th century reproduction piece or an individual creation.

Restoration of Panelled rooms

Damiaens is enthralled with the variety of projects he is asked to undertake, as well as the larger pieces of furniture which easily take eight months to a year to complete. 

For a German client, he is currently building and decorating a Georgian-style library. In between these large projects, he carves and decorates a range of smaller, custom-made

commissions.

Damiaens likes to challenge himself with exciting new carving designs. Most recently, he is utilizing the style of 17th century English woodcarvers, who created wonderful trophies and exquisite cascades of flowers, fruit and leaves, which are applied to paneling, walls and even chimneys.

 So detailed and refined are these carvings that in certain light they look natural and lifelike, and have been likened to lacework.

“I still try to add a personal contemporary touch to these high-relief carvings,” explains Damiaens. “I see them as my children.”

Panelled rooms

 » Reproductions and personal creations of the 18th-century Liégeois
Furniture style.
» Artisan realisation and custom-made woodcarving and ornaments
for stairs, paneling, chimney-pieces, doors, family coats
of arms, ...
» Restoration and reconstruction of ornaments.

for more info: www.patrickdamiaens.be

 www.patrickdamiaens.be