Tryyn Gallery / Guatay

William Chappelow at his Tryyn Gallery in Guatay, CA. 

Bill is an amazing craftsman who specializes in wood kitchen implements. He's been at it since the early 1970s and his work is included in the Smithsonian permanent collection. Tryyn is a medieval term meaning "coming from the tree". The gallery is located in the mountains just 30 minutes east of San Diego in the tiny town of Guatay, which is on Historic Highway 80.

The form and grain of the wood guides what the final piece will become. 

Each piece is designed for a very particular use. I spent a lot of time reading the tags before selecting mine. Cream of wheat is one of my favorites. 

Bill in his workshop, which is located behind the gallery.

Bill's prefered machines are Walker-Turner band saws from the 1930s.

He uses more than 250 types of wood in his work.

As an avid environmentalist, he uses every scrap. At one point he was even using the sawdust in a ceramic wood fire kiln. As a side note, he studied ceramics under Martha Longenecker at San Diego State University.

Not only is Bill's work incredible, he's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

 In addition to Tryyn, he also has The Hissing Camel, a ceramics gallery that has work by a wide range of artists. One of his favorites is David Stewart. There are also some choice Japanese pieces.

Needless to say, a trip to see Bill is well worth it:

27538 Old Hwy 80, Guatay, CA 91931