Haines creates juniper masterpiece

Every once in a while, a woodworker comes across a piece of wood so magnificent that the work almost seems to create itself. Such was the case with a recent project by Sisters furniture-maker Dougal Haines.

Haines received a commission to build a hall tree from Dixie and Gary Baker, who have a place out on Holmes Road, east of Sisters.

"When they were building their gateway out there on the road, I left one of my business brochures in their mailbox complimenting them on their beautiful gate - it was so striking," Haines recalled.

The Bakers then contacted Haines with a project that turned out to be a bit of a departure for a woodworker who specializes in fine furniture and home fixtures: "It really is more a piece of sculpture than anything," he said.

Haines wasn't sure he could meet the material requirements of the piece. He needed juniper on a grand scale. To source it out, he turned to local woodworker and collector Brent McGregor.

"Sure enough, he had three consecutive planks from the same tree," Haines said.

Usually, juniper of any large size has rot at the core. Not this piece.

"It's rare stuff that you just don't see," Haines said.

The finished piece - a bench, legs, pegs for hats - didn't require extensive work for an expert furnituremaker. It was the wood that was the showpiece.

"I was just trying to highlight the juniper," Haines explained. "It was just jaw-dropping."

Haines has been creating artistic furniture, custom woodwork and detail work in Sisters for the past 18 years. He's also done a lot of straw bale house construction. It's a far cry from his original career path: he was going to be a university professor.

The artist left a graduate program in English literature because the pull of craft was too strong. Perhaps it was inherited from a father who taught him to "put things together."

"Everything he touched turned to gold," Haines said.

Haines migrated from his native Wyoming to Colorado, then to various parts of Oregon before settling in Sisters. The open spaces, the mountains, the forests suit him.

With deep love and respect for the living medium in which he works, Haines has gained a reputation for crafting one-of-a-kind art pieces. His work fits his simple, yet profound mission.

"I love making beautiful things," he says. "It's great to contribute to people's lives."

For more information visit http://www.dougalhaines.com or call 541-815-3656.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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