Douglas W. Jones and Kim Kulow-Jones

"We have a favorite quote by the artist Man Ray: 'The world is full of craftsmen, but there are very few practical dreamers.'"

Douglas Jones and Kim Kulow-Jones like woodwork that is elegant and imaginative, sophisticated yet playful. They enjoy experimenting with unusual materials, woods, and techniques to convey their sense of elegance. The interaction of materials allows for serendipity: milk paint reacts with certain woods, revealing an additional line of color when carved back through the wood.

Their work relies on a combination of curving surfaces, rich colors, and appealing textures to express these interests. Though trained as artists and craftspeople, they seek an open-ness and immediacy towards materials that is often found in folk art.

Jones and Kulow-Jones took circuitous routes to becoming furniture makers. Kim earned her BFA at Cleveland Institute of Art and apprenticed in Denmark. Doug graduated from Wesleyan University with a history degree but soon found work with a cabinetmaker. Both artists went on to earn MFA degrees in furniture design from the Rhode Island School of Design. They met while attending a woodworking class at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. They married and moved to New England to start the Random Orbit studio.