Fincastle Gallery - Jacob Cress, Master Craftsman

Jake's website, designed with 21st century technology, is created to show you classic, original, fantasy, and restored furniture made with 18th century techniques. The pieces are made one at a time, very carefully, by one dusty old guy who works by himself in an ancient log cabin. In a world where furniture makers call themselves artists, Jake pokes fun by building pieces that make you laugh, and maybe think. He also makes "normal" pieces of almost any style. If you'd like either an animated or traditional piece, to have an antique restored, or have your own design put into wood, contact Jake to discuss particulars. He's almost always in his shop, thinking up more designs to put a little humor into a too-serious world.
"Jake is an artist - unique, quirky, inspired, and dependable. His view of the world and the objects in it provides an interesting approach to his high quality hand-crafted furniture, clocks and boxes. He is a pleasure, not just to work with, but to share conversation over a hot cup of coffee on a sun-drenched porch. I can't recommend him strongly enough." John Nye, President,Nye and Co. Auctioneers and Appraisers, Past SVP, DirectorAmerican Furniture and Decorative Arts, Sotheby's, Inc.
"If my animated furniture causes people to laugh, then my purpose is achieved. If it also causes them to see ordinary objects differently, that is a bonus. No matter what you do in life, it is necessary to learn the basics, to study the classics – whether it is the “Golden Rule” of proportion or the wordsmithing of Shakespeare. Every profession has rules, and if you don’t know them, you can’t break them. I have worked in Botetourt County for 37 years, and in Fincastle for 32 of those years. My work is represented in several museums, including the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery and the Yale Collection, as well as private collections. I also build custom orders and restore antiques." ---Jake