Meet Caleb Hartman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caleb Hartman.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m nearly 40 years old, a married man with two kids, pets, a mortgage, and a pretty normal suburban life. It’s a far cry from where I was 13 years ago when I was released from prison after a five-year stint that was the result of making a slew of poor choices in my teens and young adulthood. I recognized that life is about choices, and at that juncture, I had the opportunity to make choices for the better. My wife has stood by my side this entire time often talking me off the ledge of poor decisions and supporting me through the economic downturn, and helping me pursue my passion of becoming my own boss and starting a company. It hasn’t been easy, but I am three years in, moved from my garage to a small shop and finally into a large shop that allows me to be creative and tackle just about any job that comes my way.

I attribute much of my drive to what I learned from my grandfather and father. My grandfather was a factory worker in Ohio post-WWII and worked hard to provide for his family. My father worked nights, and endless overtime put food on the table and managed to find time to wrestle and spend time with four boys no more than two years between each child, plus foster children and more. Both men had admirable traits when it came to work ethic and being a father figure of the household. As I grew into adulthood, I realized these were attributes that led to their success in life and that I too would like to pass them on to my children.

Please tell us about your art.
Most of my furniture is commissioned based; however, the pieces that I build are all over the spectrum as far as design, style, and materials used. I get my inspiration from older building techniques and joinery. These are techniques that have stood the test of time. The builders and makers before us did all the trial and error and the pieces that still stand strong are a testament of what methods were successful. They paved the way so to speak. I look at older styles and try and find a way to incorporate something from it into a new build and I always come away with some new knowledge of materials or a new method to use a tool. The material guides me through the project and determines the process from my first cut all the way until the last finish coat. If you ignore these suggestions, you will fight the whole way through the build.

The lumber I use for my builds are hand selected by me at the source. I use urban forested trees from the streets of the valley of the sun. Some of my material does come from other states, but it does not come from the big box stores. My sources are trees that needed to come down for the preservation of buildings or commercial properties and would otherwise end up in a landfill. My work is not 100% recycled or upcycled material currently but, I am very close, and all of my scraps get donated to other woodworkers who will use the pieces to craft smaller wood items such as pens and rings.

I hope all my customers and clients walk away completely satisfied with the entire experience including the building process. I ask a lot of questions and keep the client 100% involved with the decisions that need to be made along the way. There are a lot of variables when building custom furniture. Where is it going to be used? What is its main purpose? What type of flooring is it going to rest on? The answers to these questions could impact the way I build the base and change the structural integrity of the piece. When these things are explained to the client, they are usually very receptive to changes in the design that I recommend. The end result is a very satisfied customer because they know that piece has been built not only to their specifications but in a manner that is of their best interest.

As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Success is a relative term. If my children are happy, then I am a success. If I didn’t ruin anyone’s day including mine or my wife’s, I am a success. As a builder, I believe as long as the customer is happy and I took something away from the build or experience then again I am a success. I am always trying to become a better person in life whether it is in my builds or just being polite when I wasn’t in the mood. Doing selfless things for random people is a great thing. You never know what that person’s day has been like or their circumstances are, so just treat people the way you want to be treated. If I ever thought I had succeeded, then I would think that I am a master of my trade. I hope those words never enter my brain because I seek knowledge and I will never know everything so I will always be a student of the craft of woodworking.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I am currently doing most of my business off word of mouth. I have a web page but very basic and shows a glimpse of my work. (www.deadwoodcraftsman.com) Currently, to see the most up to date happenings in the shop and jobs I am working on would be through my Facebook page and Instagram. Deadwood Craftsman is my company name, however, on Facebook, I can be found on the original page that started it all – Caleb’s Custom Creation’s (www.facebook.com/deadwoodcraftsman) or @deadwoodcraftsman on Instagram. I have a shop with a storefront or showroom of sorts. We are slowly getting up to speed with social media and online marketing; however, I personally prefer to bid jobs in person either at my shop or on the job site. Call or message me to discuss your initial needs and we can go from there! Slow and steady no rush or urgency let life happen and as long as you have been preparing you will always be ready for that opportunity to come knocking.

Contact Info:

• Address: Deadwood Craftsman Shop
  1505 E Weber Dr STE #121
  Tempe AZ 85281
• Website: www.deadwoodcraftsman.com
• Phone: 602-540-6966
• Email: caleb@deadwoodcraftsman.com
• Instagram: @deadwoodcraftsman
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/deadwoodcraftsman (Page name is Caleb’s Custom Creations)

Image Credit:
Rachel Perrella, Miles McDermott

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.