Out of the Woods

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Linda Deardroff moved to Oregon in 1978 with her husband, Jim. After spending more than 30 years in education as a teacher, elementary school principal, and college professor promoting the arts, she decided to join her furniture maker husband and continue her woodworking full- time.

Linda and her husband hand select and dry the wood from forests on the Oregon Coast where they live. They work with Oregon Alder, a non-endangered hardwood that has been used in furniture and cabinetry for years. After searching for interesting shapes, textures, and patterns, the parts of the tree that Jim is unable to use in his furniture become the basis for the one-of-a-kind vessels and boxes that Linda creates. She shapes each piece following the wood’s natural contour, finely sands them and finishes each with tung oil.

Much of the inspiration for Linda’s work comes from the natural beauty and wildlife on the 5 acres where she and her husband live and work. Her hope is to create a unique piece of artwork that will provide years of enjoyment while bringing the natural environment “out of the woods” and into the home, without further degrading our forests or wasting precious resources.