Jan Bouterse
About
Jan was born and educated in the Netherlands and came to the US in his mid twenties. He always wanted to be a cabinet maker, started and operated his cabinet shop in 1985, sold it in 2007, and traveled for 5 years throughout the US to certify shops for the Architectural Woodworking Institute Quality certification Program. He has taught furniture making at The John C Campbell Folk School and counts this as one of his most wonderful experiences. In his words: "I have learned most from making mistakes and am still at it". Jan loves to see his grandchild 'tinker'. Please have a look at his website: https://www.janswood.com/
I think it's important to accommodate the student's needs. By chatting prior to the start time we would have the opportunity to pick a topic and I would provide an instructional handout for what we'll be working on. Examples of possible topics are drawing and designing, joinery, machining, wood turning, furniture making, finishing etc., I like to work with a lesson plan but just love it when I'm asked questions about skill sets the student could develop. Given my 40+ years of experience, I am confident that I can share some of my mistakes. I also know there are things I don't know and that I teach to learn. Hope to see you soon!