The secrets of Eric Blackwell’s creativity? Friendships and recycling

Stepping into woodworker Eric Blackwell’s Woodland Hills home feels like entering a custom furniture boutique. That’s because much of the decor was handmade by Blackwell after he and his wife Jee bought their home in 2012.

In the kitchen you’ll find a 5-by-5-foot walnut butcher block island made of 1,500 pieces, along with cutting boards made from recycled maple guitar necks, a reclaimed walnut dresser in the living room and handcrafted wood lamps. switch covers in the bathroom.

While these pieces remain exclusive to the Blackwell household, customers know the 43-year-old Blackwell, who is from Anaheim, for his handcrafted artwork, made largely from reclaimed guitar wood.

Discussing his work and process, Blackwell jokingly describes himself as having an “unfortunate disease” in making things. His creations range from guitar stands priced at $179 to mid-century clocks starting at $300 and pieces of large marquetry – an art form involving inlaid work made from small pieces of differently colored wood or other materials – priced at $1,800.

Despite transitioning from his job as a luthier to full-time artistry less than two years ago, Blackwell is already making a name for himself through his work, which can be seen in California boutiques such as Trina Turk and the Frank Lloyd Wright. Foundation shop. You can also find his art on the Blackwell Woodworks website.

A collection of Eric Blackwell’s marquetry wall art and guitar stand.

It may be hard to believe that this meticulous woodworker, who created delicate works of art in his home studio, was once a rocker who swung his guitar around on stage in high school.

After Blackwell graduated from Moorpark High School, his passion for guitars led him to Tom Anderson Guitarworks, a guitar-making workshop in Newbury Park, in 2001. Since then, woodworking has been an integral part of his life.

“I was surrounded by big machines, cool tools and huge planks of wood used to build guitars,” he says. “If there were pieces left, we piled them up and burned them like firewood. So I started collecting these little bits of mahogany, rosewood and maple, and you scratch your head and realize, ‘Oh, can I make something with this?’ ”

Growing up, Blackwell often visited his grandfather’s home in Buena Park, which was decorated with an eclectic collection of thrifted clocks. Despite losing his thumbs and fingers in a house fire at a very young age, Blackwell’s grandfather ingeniously adapted his equipment and became head of maintenance for the local school district. Blackwell would help him with various projects.

It is fitting that Blackwell’s first piece, made from the wood scraps at the work, was a clock for his grandfather. It was a trapezoidal design in mid-century and Art Deco style and was received with surprise and pride: “Eric, this is a $50 clock,” his grandfather told him.

“In his eyes, that was very expensive,” Blackwell says. “He would never spend fifty dollars on a clock.”

Eric Blackwell in his home studio with his trapezoidal clock made of walnut, maple and mahogany.

This experience led to a source of inspiration for Blackwell. In his spare time at Tom Anderson, where he could use machines he did not have at home at the time, he developed more clock designs, maintaining a consistent mid-century aesthetic with quirky shapes such as pyramids, avocados, eyes, stadiums and televisions.

“I’m attracted to the futuristic feel of the past,” he says. “If you think about the 1950s and 1960s, when we were inventing all these new things, there’s a bit of American history in there.”

Blackwell also began to explore the art of marquetry, creating works that often included inlaid patterns of trees, mushrooms and geometric shapes.

An avocado-shaped clock by woodworker and luthier Eric Blackwell.

One of the creations he is most proud of are his guitar stands. As a guitarist, Blackwell understands the value musicians place on their instruments. Typical guitar stands on the market today are “ugly and cheap-looking” items made of metal or plastic, he said. He strives to design aesthetically pleasing stands that musicians can use to proudly display their guitars.

After numerous designs and numerous adjustments for angles and weight distribution, Blackwell developed two designs, for electric and acoustic guitars. The stands consist of two triangular hardwood structures that snap together via magnets, with naturally tanned leather mountings for the guitars to rest on.

“I believe that everything functional should also be artistic,” he says. “You can rest your guitar on anything, but why not put it on a nice piece of furniture?”

A side view of a guitar stand designed and handmade by Eric Blackwell.

In March 2023, Blackwell transitioned to full-time artistry and launched his brand Blackwell Woodworks so he could dedicate himself to new designs and custom pieces for his clients.

For Tom Anderson, founder of Tom Anderson Guitarworks, who has been Blackwell’s mentor and “second father” for 22 years, it is no surprise to see him evolve from a novice to a skilled craftsman.

“Through his time (with Tom Anderson), you could tell he always had the idea of ​​doing something creative in the back of his mind,” Anderson says. “We both knew when it was time, you know, for him to go out on his own.”

With a family of four – Jee, 46, a hairdresser, and their two sons, Owen, 14, and Allen, 12 – Blackwell initially worried about whether a full-time art career would be able to support their household. He gave himself a one-year deadline to find out if it could work; if not, he would return to building guitars.

“That obviously never happened,” says Jee Blackwell. “It’s still scary to think about where things are going to go, but whatever happens, he just keeps tinkering with it. And little by little the company is growing.”

From his home studio, Blackwell has more time and space to develop larger works. As a SoCal bonus, Los Angeles’ stable and dry climate is ideal for woodworking year-round. And Blackwell can easily spend weeks meticulously cutting, staining and arranging small geometric tiles into a 2-by-4-inch wall art piece.

Eric Blackwell works on a guitar stand in his home studio.

Friends describe him as a nerdy perfectionist.

“As long as I’ve known Eric, he’s always had something he stands for,” says Ken Anderson, a business development manager at a biotech company who has been a close friend of Blackwell for 20 years. “And when he gets into something, he learns it and becomes a master.”

Ken Anderson remembers Blackwell’s varied interests, from golf and guitar to poker and pool shooting. Blackwell also built a large home brewery a few years ago.

Apart from his interests, Blackwell devotes himself entirely to his woodwork. “This is what I do to relax,” he says. “I like taking on a new project and then figuring out how to do it.”

Jee Blackwell often reminds her husband to take breaks from work. “We’ll make sure we say, ‘Okay, go get daddy.’ He needs to eat,” she says. “Otherwise I don’t even know if he’s eating.”

Only his sons’ baseball games can keep him from work. Blackwell coaches Owen and Allen’s teams and never misses a game. In his studio, two magnets on a cabinet show images of the boys in their baseball uniforms.

“He’s a great dad,” Tom Anderson said, adding that Blackwell always made sure he went on vacation with his family when he was with Tom Anderson. “I remember when I started my business I was working all the time, but I think he finds a good balance.”

Blackwell’s sons sometimes help out in the studio, sweeping up wood dust and sanding boards. Blackwell encourages their creativity and guides them through small woodwork projects. Last Christmas, Owen made wooden key rings for each family member with engraved initials.

What helps Blackwell stay fresh and organized is a regular morning routine. He wakes up at six in the morning, makes coffee and takes a half-hour walk around his neighborhood, where he likes to see bunnies and hear birds singing.

“One thing I’ve learned from all that walking is that you shouldn’t bring an earphone to listen to music or podcasts,” he says. “You just have to be bored. Don’t connect your senses to a place where you can’t hear what’s going on around you.”

After his walk, he rides his mountain bike for an hour on the Las Virgenes View Trail. Cycling time, he says, is for focusing, planning his day and solving problems.

A piece of quilted maple will reveal its grain when applied with a finish. This becomes part of a wooden work of art, a clock or a guitar stand.

In addition to his morning routine, Blackwell cites friendships as his “secret weapon” for his creative process.

Robert LeJeune, of Echo Park, is one of his frequent callers. Their friendship began when Blackwell offered him home-brewed beer after LeJeune built a fence in front of his house. With a background in engineering and sales, LeJeune was a key source of information when Blackwell began running his own store.

“Eric is not shy about asking a lot of people for advice, and I happened to be one of his trusted advisors,” says LeJeune. “It’s always a friendly call. It’s not always just about business.”

A strong supporter of Blackwell’s work, LeJeune often tries to buy his products, but rarely succeeds in paying for them.

“When I try to order something, he gives my money back and brings me what I ordered,” said LeJeune, who has three clocks and two guitar stands from Blackwell Woodworks.

Woodworking artist Eric Blackwell with his Lollipop clock made from recycled guitar scraps.

Completing a piece is not the end for Blackwell. He often asks clients to send photos of his work to their homes so he can revisit his art.

“They’re his babies,” LeJeune says. “He is a true artist through and through.”

Blackwell says he’s happy to see a resurgence in appreciation for handmade items. He is looking forward to attending Modernism Week, an exhibition of mid-century architecture and design in Palm Springs, from Thursday through Sunday to showcase his work.

“I get a lot of pleasure from creating and making woodwork,” he says. “And you come into contact with people who would like to know that these pieces are made by people. That feels real.”

In this series, we highlight independent makers and artists, from glassblowers to fiber artists, who create and produce original products in Los Angeles.