A Master Craftsman in our midst

Walking into William's workshop, tucked to the side of the Genadendal Museum's INFO office, the first thing one notices is the smell of wood, the sound of a plane on a wonderfully alive piece of raw timber, sawdust under your feet and the general air of a workshop much loved.

Then you present your crude little drawing of a piece of furniture you have imagined owning, asking what he thinks.  He quietly studies it, then sits down with a piece of paper and before your eyes you see a family heirloom come to life.  As he draws he becomes lyrical about wood turned sections, the way the grain should run, making this piece of beautiful, poetic furniture come alive in your mind. Then he starts moving piles of carefully hoarded wood until he finds just the right piece for you and lovingly running his hand over it, you get the feeling that he is parting with his firstborn child.

William is happiest with sawdust on his spectacles and woodcurls under his feet.  His love for trees and wood is his passion.

Go and visit him, even if you do not need any work done.  The atmosphere in his workshop is calming and restorative.  You will leave feeling whole once again.