Some people take long walks in the woods to get in touch with nature, but if you're Alan Curtis, a woodworker, you scout for branches with unique twists, oak burls, dead and semi-dead hardwoods. Like a sculptor examining a block of marble, Curtis can visualize hidden shapes and designs in what others would consider firewood.
At the November 14 meeting of the McDonough County Retired Teachers, Curtis outlined his multifaceted career and displayed some of his wood creations — bowls, cutting boards, even a mountain dulcimer.
Though born on a dairy farm, Curtis chose a path in instrumental music at Western Illinois University. In one of his theory classes, a professor displayed an unusual folk instrument — a mountain dulcimer — thus sparking an interest in how piecing together wooden elements could produce such a unique instrument. Even though he spent a few years waving a baton, conducting school bands, the woodworking bug had bitten. His first woodworking venture was creating a mountain dulcimer, without having all the appropriate tools and a sense of what to do and what not to do.
Curtis spoke of getting his start through family members who restored antique furniture. Eventually, he bought the business in 1979 and operated it until the mid 1980s. He'd strip, restore, and repair old furniture and developed the skill of replicating missing or damaged parts. However, by the 1980s, sourcing worthy antiques became more difficult. It was time for another career change.
He worked in factories, for an environmental agency, and as a farm hand. He finally settled in as manager of Keokuk's Farm and Home Supply, a position he held for 22 years. But he still had his workshop, his tools, and a love for what he could shape out of wood. Eventually, he and his father and a cousin bought a large circular saw mill and began to cut up various tree species into rough boards for sale to other woodworkers. But even that didn't prove profitable..
