Moore furniture maker prepares for weekend affair
By Chris Jones
This is a year of celebration for furniture maker Rodrigo Ferreira. In June, the native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, became an American citizen, and this month he and his wife, Tania, moved their business to a new location in Moore.
The sign for their business, Wood Creations, is not up yet, but Ferreira’s distinctive, often massive pieces of furniture are displayed in the new building where there is ample room for him to work.
He also is preparing for An Affair of the Heart in Oklahoma City, where he will show his furniture pieces in two booths. This will be the fourth year he has participated in the show at State Fair Park, where 850 exhibitors will fill seven buildings with arts, crafts, collectibles, holiday specialties, furniture, quilts, dolls and jewelry.
The most difficult part of the show is moving the 7- and 8-foot-tall, solid-wood armoires, hall trees and large desks and tables to Cox Pavilion, where Ferreira will have his booths.
Every piece of furniture Ferreira builds is different. He uses vintage doors salvaged from homes that are being torn down, patterned antique ceiling tin and porch columns to create his own style. The wood is finished in a variety of shades including deep red, pale gold, black, and green.
"My dad is a furniture refinisher, and that’s how I started,†he said. "Then I made a bench. And when I sold it, I began making other pieces of furniture.â€
Furniture as well as other items for the home, clothing and jewelry is at the top of the list for loyal fans of the two An Affair of the Heart events annually in Oklahoma City. Gayle Dyer, one of the founders of the nearly 24-year-old marketplace, said the first show started with 65 exhibitors in 1985. It was a rocky financial time for Oklahoma, but Dyer said she and her partners stepped out in faith and watched their business grow and flourish.
The upcoming event will showcase the talent of Ferreira and hundreds of other exhibitors from throughout Oklahoma and the nation, as they fill seven buildings with an array of items including authentic Navajo rugs, porcelain dolls and even museum shop items from the Oklahoma Heritage Center.
This year, An Affair of the Heart is listed in Sunshine Artist magazine as being in the top 50 of the 200 best shows in the United States.
"This show is so much fun, and it’s an Oklahoma tradition,†Dyer said. "There are people who never miss it, and they make it a sort of family reunion. I’ll be at the door waiting for them.â€
Taken from http://newsok.com/