Hobson Oak
THE SILENT AUCTION HAS CLOSED.
Loaves & Fishes Community Services and the Naperville Parks Foundation have partnered to auction limited artisan pieces created from the majestic Hobson Oak that stood near Hobson and Greene Roads for nearly two hundred and fifty years. The auction will take place at Loaves & Fishes Night to End Hunger event on August 25th, 2018 at the Hyatt Lodge in Oakbrook.
The legendary bur oak has become a piece of Naperville and DuPage County history, with roots tracing back to before the American Revolution, and shading Native Americans and settlers. It was carefully taken down in November 2016 with a promise to maintain its legacy through the Naperville Parks Foundation.
Several artists have obtained pieces of the Hobson Oak tree to create wood crafts which will be available for bidding both at the Night to End Hunger event and simultaneously via the auction’s online bidding platform beginning 8-18-18. The link will be made available here along with updated Hobson Oak auction information. In addition, ten Hobson Oak saplings will be available in the auction. Over the last two years The Morton Arboretum successfully germinated and nurtured the seedlings that grew from the oak’s acorns collected by volunteers. A portion of the funds raised from the seedlings also benefits The Morton Arboretum.
All proceeds from the auction of the Hobson Oak pieces will be split between Loaves & Fishes and the Naperville Parks Foundation.
Meet the Hobson Oak Artists
Bruce Kamp
Bruce has lived in Naperville for 40 years. His interest in woodworking comes from his dad, who was a gifted artist. Much of his pleasure derived from the idea of taking a rough piece of wood and turning it into something nice and maybe something useful too. Each new piece is a challenge to continually innovate and solve problems. This is where Bruce finds the real joy in turning. He has many of his dad’s old tools and part of the joy of this hobby is that he gets to use them.
“I feel like I have just scratched the surface of what there is to learn about turning.” – Bruce Kamp
Tommaso Lesnick
Tommaso Lesnick grew up in Florence, Italy, where he was surrounded by both the art of the Renaissance and the modern artisans who are still the heart and soul of that city. He received a master’s in fine art from the San Francisco Art Institute in the classic discipline of Printmaking and enjoys a successful career in Advertising and Design in Chicago. With a commitment to using local raw materials, a passion to work them by hand, and a desire for functional objects that are at once modern and classic, Tommasomade creates Objects for the Home that have an aesthetic all their own. tommasomade.com
Jeff Rudolph
What I enjoy most about woodworking is turning random pieces of lumber or wood slabs into something that is both functional and appealing to look at. I enjoy the process of planning and designing, solving the many challenges including; cutting, joining and finishing the wood. And of course, the inevitable process of fixing mistakes. I rarely use stain or paint on any of my projects, I like the natural beauty of the wood. After years of working with wood I am still in awe of the beauty of the “pop” of the grain of a rough piece of lumber after it is planned, sanded and treated with an amber based finish such as boiled linseed oil. RudolphJeff@yahoo.com