28 | July/August 2019
A R T S
Wood you reinvent
yourself?
BY CATH RATHBONE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW WONDERLY
W
hen blown-out knees ended Ray
Fernandes' construction career, he found
professional salvation in a lifelong passion
for woodworking.
It was time for a change, the Fayetteville resident said,
noting he'd already been "drained by the emotional and
physical stress of chasing the next big deal."
Standing in his woodworking shop, I can see just how
much he loves his world. Every corner is packed with tools
and treasures just waiting to be explored. And laid out
on two clean cloths on the central bench are a couple of
examples of his woodworking specialty – gorgeously made
and individually designed cutting boards. e boards,
almost like living things, pulse with warm colors of many
types of wood, begging me to touch them.
Having dabbled with wood myself, I can tell right away
that none of the wood used in these cutting boards was
purchased from a large box store. Deep reds, gray chevron
stripes and warm auburns, among others, make up intricate
patterns that have been created with careful thought,
