WENDELL RICKON

Creative Upcycle Woodwork

Upcycle: reuse discarded objects or materials in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original. Before this was a word, Wendell was finding discarded materials to make things: a fort, a scooter, a cart. As a kid he helped his father to build a boat. Back in 1967 he came to be a Park Ranger at Van Damme, and over twelve years he worked in every park in the county. 
       As much as he loved nature, Wendell loved working with his hands and started a successful career as a handyman, always keeping an eye out for materials he could repurpose. He has a special talent to turn a pallet, shipping crate, old wooden hangers, carpentry tools, a tennis racket or a ski, into a quirky chair or table. He sold many of his creations through Sally Mac, then Nathan Anderson of Anderson’s Alternatives. Nathan would prepare slabs for redwood tables, but Wendell knew how to make the perfect legs. 
     In the 90’s Wendell also had his own business he called Sticks making walking sticks that he would sell at art fairs. Once he had a commission from a Superior Court Judge in Sacramento to make a set of chairs from the judge’s father’s old vintage tools. Wendell Rickon’s work is among the newest on display at the Artists’ Co-Op of Mendocino where you can find his latest clever upcycled creations including vases, candle holders, chairs, and tables.

LC, KR 3/5/24