Today we’d like to introduce you to Lou Quallenberg.
Hi Lou, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in New Jersey. I grew up in a home that was also a photography studio and school. I eventually became a commercial photographer and then married a girl from Texas. We bounced back and forth from New Jersey to Texas, finally settling in Texas over 20 years ago. You just can’t take a Texas girl out of Texas. This time I started playing around with Texas Mesquite. I built a table that turned into a business and a passion for this crazy wood. It is hard, craggly and full of character. I love playing with the curves and unique holes and flaws that you find in mesquite. My style is a sculpted live edge. My clients must like the way I handle it as I have pieces all over the world. I have won multiple awards with my work. In fact, I have won the Best Texas Style Category at the Texas Furniture Makers Show 8 times, not bad for a Jersey Boy!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I remember one time I was stranded on the side of the road with a huge mesquite log that we had hauled up from south Texas. The truck broke down and I was left there alone with just the trailer, as the wrecker took the truck. I waited alone for another truck to arrive. It was late, it was dark and all I could hear was the sound of coyotes. There are always obstacles but I think if you stay the course, ride the waves, do the work and do what you love, the money will come.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make mesquite furniture and sculpture. I tend to focus on the curves, seeing the wood almost as a woman, bringing out those curves in sculpted live edge. I also have quite a few Heart Sculptures that I started making as gifts for my wife at Valentine’s Day. Then my clients began requesting them as custom pieces.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I found mesquite wood by luck. My wife had a friend that wanted a mesquite table. I was a commercial photographer with skills at building photo sets and some garden pergolas. That first mesquite table kicked off my journey to making mesquite furniture and sculpting mesquite art.
Around that same time my largest commercial photography client moved all of their photography to China. Call it good luck or call it bad luck it lead to a successful new business.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.louqart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quallenberg/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lou.quallenberg
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louquallenberg
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/quallenberg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LouQart
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lou-quallenberg-studio-llano
- Other: https://mesquite-musings.blogspot.com/
