Take a seat with furnituremaker Joseph Thompson

A piece of furniture that Joseph Thompson built may be one of the smoothest surfaces your hands will ever touch.

Thompson has been working with wood for six years; each original piece of artwork takes 3 to 4 months to complete.

"It is important to me that my work is pleasing to the hand so that it is tactically intriguing, pleasing to the eye so that it is aesthetically pleasing, and pleasing to the mind so that it evokes some emotion, hopefully a good one," he said.

"It is satisfying to build something and to know I built it well," he said. "It is probably just as satisfying to know that when I finish a piece, next time I will do it better. It's humbling and exciting to know that I will likely never master my craft, only hone my skills and learn from my mistakes."

Thompson began his woodworking career building wooden ships at Silva Bay Shipyard School and then attended The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship.

Ever since, he has fallen in love with the inspiration and creativity that wood building gives him.

Like most artists, Thompson's goals are to make a living out of his artwork. So every Saturday he drives 90 minutes from his home in Vance to show his furniture at the downtown farmer's market.

Stop by his booth in Marion Square.

Next Event: 8 a.m. -2 p.m. every Saturday at the Charleston Farmer's market at Marion Square.

Contact Info: jwtwoodworks@hotmail.com, 803-682-3003

Birth date and place: April 1979 in Orangeburg.

Family: Mother, Norah; father, Jody; brother, Pinckney; dogs, Jack and Beaufort.

Education: Clemson University; Silva Bay Shipyard School, Vancouver Island, British Columbia; The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport, Maine.

Career: Furnituremaker, designer.

Goals: To continue to refine to my career as furnituremaker and designer.

What book are you reading now?: "Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut.

Influences: Parents, James Krenov, Sam Maloof, Adrian Ferrazzutti.

Price Range: $150 to $10,000.

What direction is your art heading?: Hopefully, out of my hands and into yours.