The Maker's Mark, part 3

One of the benches made by Leon Sadubin for Parliament House, ACT. Photo: Leon Sadubin

In part 1 of this article, Luke Batten explains why acknowledging the identity of the maker is an essential part of the handmade story and to the meaning of craft. In part 2, Roy Schack and Rolf Barfoed tell us why and how they ID their work, while here, Leon Sadubin and Terry Martin detail the development and making of their individual marks.

Leon Sadubin: Memorable logos

In 1977 I started working as a self-employed furniture maker. An early task was to design a maker’s mark which would give my work individuality. A mark that could be stamped on my crafted creations, drawn or printed on labels, on marketing materials and on signage.

I liked the concept of a bowsaw – a well made wooden frame tensioning a sawblade held with turned handles. It would make a memorable logo. Applying for a trademark seemed a logical process so I got my drawing of a bowsaw registered. It took about six months to jump through the hoops.

Bowsaw logo 1978 stamped on first Yoke armchair in red cedar

I then had a punch made up by an engraver so I could make a permanent mark on endgrain and add a date with individual punches. The bowsaw logo appeared on all my work, on my stationery, business cards, my truck and workshop signage. It made an impression – work flowed in. I had an identity!

Bowsaw logo applied label Wood Works on celery top pine table in 1981. Everyone involved in making the piece applied their name.

The name of the workshop was Wood Works and my business name was Leon Sadubin Designs. Both names were registered. In 1990 my wife Ginny and I set up a specialist shop in our Thornleigh workshop showroom. We called it The Woodworks Book and Tool Co. We thought it would be appropriate to use the bowsaw as the logo for the shop as well.

Bench Bird Logo 2019 stamped on Australian white cedar white cedar table

In 1997 we decided to sell the business and return to full time making and realised we had to say farewell to our trusty bowsaw logo. My design for the bench seats I made for the new Australian Parliament House had a distinctive end shape – that of a bird flying. Thus in 1998 was born the new maker’s mark, the ‘bench bird’.

Leon Sadubin @leonsadubindesigns, www.leonsadubin.com.au

 

Terry Martin, Heart of the Tree, jacaranda, 450mm dia, 350mm high, walls 5mm thick. The pierced pattern is an enlargement of a microscopic image of the cell structure of jacaranda wood. The maker’s signature shown is on the underside. Photos: Terry Martin

Terry Martin: Signed by hand

When I decided to become a full-time woodturner in the 1980s I realised that I would need to sign my work clearly. My usual handwriting is bad and my signature is illegible, so I tried to produce a flowing signature in keeping with my hand-worked bowls. I had a vague idea that the words ‘Terry Martin’ should be able to flow together, but the capitals seemed to interfere with that. I tried writing my full name in lower case and immediately saw that the crossed ‘t’ in both my family and given names could be linked together by extending the crossing across the whole signature. I practised and practised till I could get it right every time, and I have never changed my signature since then.

So how do I make my signature on the wood? Pyrography and engraving are both good choices because they work on most woods and are permanent. But I tried them and found it hard to get the flow that a pen will offer. I decided indelible pens might work, so I tried different permanent markers. Some, such as Sharpies, leave a metallic sheen that looks odd, but over the years I have narrowed my choice down to Artline Drawing System pens with 0.8mm tips, or Staedler Pigment Liners with 0.5mm tips.

I draw a straight line with a ruler, then place the bowl on a table ready to write. I always take the time to calm myself because a hurried job can leave unsightly lines. If I mess up the signature, I sand it off and do it again. My usual finish is Penetrol or Kunos oil. I apply that first finish over the signature, which preserves it very well. I sometimes buff my work and then buff on hardening carnauba wax. However, I don’t buff the signature as it can remove the writing, but I do apply the wax over it. If I use a wood that is too dark to see the signature, I will use pyrography or scribing with a high-speed rotary tool.

I gave so much attention to developing my maker’s mark because it is the most immediate and durable advertising, and it costme almost nothing. For me, the calm act of writing my name on the wood is a logical finishing flourish to the craftsmanship that I try to bring to all of my work. I like to think of the thousands of pieces I have made, many of them still out there advertising my work.

Terry Martin, terrymartinwoodartist.com