Las Vegas COWBOY Christmas: Andy & Aaron Sanchez
Andy Sanchez was another artist that I had the absolute HONOR to meet while visiting Vegas for the Cowboy Christmas Shopping event. An award-winning wood worker, Andy’s humble spirit, passion and joy shines through his eyes and makes his stories about each piece of furniture an absolute joy to take in…
Most pieces start with a juniper tree that is often over 1000 years old. For years Andy has received most of his wood from a couple that lives near his studio in New Mexico. The husband-wife team has a license to pick the dead juniper from a local National Forest, then with just an ax & ropes, they gather only the dead standing trees.
After the wood has been selected then Andy, with his son Aaron at his side in the studio, {his wife and other children also lend a hand with the family business} begins to picture the finished product and its utilitarian purpose ~ coffee table, dining table, rocker, hutch, or bed… Once the project is defined the creative process begins to take over.
In the images {ABOVE & BELOW} you will see turquoise, alabaster, sterling silver and marble accents. Each of these has been hand picked, then sliced to fit perfectly into the knot holes and secret compartments that are a natural part of the wood. According to Andy, the goal is to “make everything like they did it on purpose”. The beauty of rustic furniture is that it doesn’t cover up God’s work ~ He makes all things perfect and rustic furniture amplifies the scars and birthmarks that God gives to trees. Andy echoes this perfectly when he tells me that his job is to “orchestrate what God has already done to awe the spirit of man.” It is this ethereal perspective that makes the Sanchez’s furniture so special.
With a willingness to allow God’s work to radiate, Andy and Aaron Sanchez build each piece of furniture and in doing so the rest of the story begins to unfold. The tables BELOW were two of the pieces that Sanchez brought to Cowboy Christmas in Vegas. Click on the thumbnails ~ these tables can do the storytelling better than I can…
Finally there is the question of care. These tables are so exquisite, the craftsmanship perfection, according to Andy many people are afraid that they can’t put a glass down on the table or it may be ruined. This, however is NOT the case. The Sanchez’s spend hours sanding, waxing and oiling the finish on the tables. This is an integral part of their process because it is what carries on their craftsmanship for a lifetime. Once they have finished the furniture all that is left to it’s owner is cleaning the surface with Liquid Gold
I believe with all of my heart that a hundred years from now the Sanchez furniture will be a prized possession of families, and also recognized as an enormous contribution to the Rustic * Western furniture market in the 21st Century. These tables are beautiful, functional, and an investment that will be a part of your family for generations to come. Andy and Cheryl, thank you for your time.
** Click HERE to see more of the VEGAS VENDORS
from Cowboy Christmas **
** Read more about Andy & Aaron Sanchez HERE **
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