ACTIVITY
Miguel López does all sorts of woodwork of the sort commonly found in dwellings, especially for interiors. This includes a great range of furniture, such as tables, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, bookshelves, doors, fitted kitchens, etc., as well as structural or decorative elements such as railings,… Mudéjar ceilings, screens, wainscots, etc.
As he works directly with customers and decorators or architects, he receives diverse commissions, although this master artisan’s distinctive style is recognisable in all his woodwork.
The techniques he uses are those of old, i.e. based on mortise-and-tenon jointing, which, as well as giving structural strength, helps maintain a traditional aesthetic even in more novel designs. On occasion he also uses screws and bolts and the latest adhesives.
His work process starts with the sourcing of timber. This is cut and hewn, with various thicknesses and parts being prepared as required for the jointing and assembly of woodwork. The timber is then sanded and finished, which may involve the use of stains (natural or otherwise), paint, shellac or aging patinas with various products. The finishes he prefers are those made with natural oils and waxes.
He uses the various woods that are to be found on the market, whether soft or hard: various species of pine, oak, ash, etc.
The machinery he uses is the basic equipment of any craft woodshop: a band saw, a planer, a chain mortiser and a router or spindle moulder. He also employs small electric devices and a variety of traditional hand tools.
Another facet of the trade that Miguel enjoys and finds gratifying is the restoration of old furniture.
TRAINING
He began working with wood professionally 35 years ago in the Alpujarra region of Granada province with two partners in a small craft workshop. His training, so to speak, was largely self-taught learning, through books, observing antique pieces, talking with elderly joiners, visiting museums and… traditional houses and replicating many of their structural and decorative elements, studying the proportions and patterns in the styles that most appealed to him.
The greatest influence on his work was that of Donald Gray, whom he knew from his early days in the workshop and in some of whose projects he had the privilege to participate, performing joinery tasks under Gray’s direction, and whose guidance and opinions he found an invaluable guide.
TEACHING
In the past he has had apprentices.
SELECTED WORK
He has worked largely for private clients, with projects such as a doorway carved with interlaced bands of fine hardwood in Hispano-Muslim style, a decorative ceiling painted on stucco-coated wood, to be seen in a cafeteria in central Granada, or another decorative ceiling with strapwork… crown mouldings for a Granadan restaurant.
