After retiring from a Rhode Island fire department and moving to Florida in 1989, Arthur “Art” Falcone found himself looking for a hobby.
After meeting his wife, Debbie, his hobby at the time — motorcycles — didn’t quite fit anymore.
“She has a herniated disc in her neck, so she couldn’t go for long rides,” he says.
Looking for a new hobby, Falcone discovered one in the early 1990s at the Florida State Fair, in Tampa.
“They have a fine handcrafted furniture competition that I just stumbled upon randomly,” he says.
After chatting with some of the attendees, Falcone discovered the exhibits he was most impressed by were made by amateurs. With no real experience, he began experimenting with woodworking, starting first with small projects, such as bird houses.
“I had some beginners tools, and figured I’d give it a try,” he says.
Falcone joined the Brandon Woodworkers Club, and after a few years of meetings and attending the state fair to see what others were making, Falcone’s work began to improve. He started taking on tougher projects.
“I just like to see things that look challenging and see if I can do it,” he says. “There were obviously mistakes made along the way, but you learn from every mistake.”
Falcone’s work has come a long way since making birdhouses. Today, his pieces include furniture from different periods, including more artistic works to detailed designs and handcrafted carvings.
“Some projects are my own design, while others came from something I see and like and try to put my own touch to it,” he says.
One of Falcone’s favorite projects was a replica of an antique 1820 game table he and his wife found browsing one day.
“She was going to buy it, and I said, ‘Let me take a shot at it,’ and it came out pretty nice,” he says of the table, which is complete with chess and backgammon boards and two leafs for expansion.
One of Falcone’s most artistic pieces is a display table that has a carved design to appear like a table skirt is being lifted halfway off the table. He even designed a love seat from a business card-sized photo in a magazine.
Falcone has sold some of his pieces on display in a gallery in St. Petersburg but says he does this solely as a hobby.
“The different woodworking clubs in the area all compete in a friendly competition to see who can win the most ribbons at fair competitions,” he says. “The materials are expensive, so I’m certainly not doing this to make a living, but I just like challenging myself to see what I’m capable of.”