Artist Profile: Bill Moore

Artistic Woodworking for More Than 7 Decades

By Natalie Del Valle

Beginning when he was only 13 years old, Bill Moore discovered his talent for working with wood. After 71 years of fine tuning his talent, he can now turn old pieces of wood into stunning furniture.

Bill Moore was born in a small town in Alabama, and he lived in the Chicago area for 25 years before moving to Georgia in 2002. He started working with wood in the 7th grade when he took an industrial arts class at his school. Thats when he discovered his passion for woodworking. I was given a saw and a planer and some wood, he says. With these materials and basic tools, he created a footstool, a set of bookends and a hanging shelf. From that day on, he was hooked.

Amazingly, other than his 7th grade class, Bill is completely self-taught. He uses several types of wood, including black walnut, maple, oak and cherry. He looks for pieces of wood according to the beauty of the lumber. Just recently, I came across a scrap in the lumberyard. It was a nice piece of black walnut. I bought it, and I turned it into a bench and table, he explains. Even now, Bill only uses standard woodworking tools like saws, hammers, sanders and a lathe to create his pieces. Among his creations are shelves, bed frames and cradles. One piece of work he created years ago is now an heirloom in his family. I made a cradle for my son when he was a newborn, and his sibling also used it. Now my sons children have used it, and my great-grandchildren will use it in the future, he says.

Bill has created several memorable projects. Its hard to say which has been the most memorable. Ive enjoyed all the pieces Ive created, he says, but one of my favorites has to be a casual black walnut table. He loves being able to envision what he can make from the wood and then bring his vision to reality. Hes been selling his hand-crafted furniture for about 25 years, but in the last 10 years, he has doubled his effort in selling his work. Bill is constantly working on new pieces to sell between two different galleries. Im currently working on a half dozen different pieces, he says. It usually takes him about 2-3 weeks to create a piece from start to finish. He takes pride in the finish, or the protective glaze that he uses on his pieces. I take my time and sand my work down super smooth before putting on the finish, he explains.

Although he mostly focuses on creating pieces for the galleries, he also occasionally takes part in art and craft shows. To view his work or inquire about a custom piece, visit the Ann Art Gallery in Canton or the Westside Market in Atlanta.