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Our Neighbors..... Roger Sargent

By Scott Stein - Pine Journal, Cloquet

Roger Sargent doesn't consider himself an artist but everyone who looks at his custom-made log furniture has a different opinion.

"I don't think of myself as an artist' he stated. "Anyone can put stuff together."

That may be true to a point, but if you look long enough at the furniture Sargent creates, or, pardon me, "puts together," it quickly becomes clear that not just anyone can take a piece of wood and make it come out like Sargent does.

If you speak to Sargent long enough, he'll start to talk himself out of the idea that he's not an artist. Get him talking about his craft long enough and he'll start to reveal some of his secrets. Surprisingly, they sound peculiarly like the way artists describe their work.

"I try to let wood tell me what to do," Sargent explained. "There is so much beauty in nature and in the wood I'm working with. Some people try to take out some of the knots in the wood, but I like them and work with them. You have to let the wood guide you."

Sargent has been letting the wood guide him for many years now, though it's only recently, since his "retirement" and since moving to Moose Lake, that he's really commercialized his passion.

He refers to his business as "The Custom Craftsman," as "custom-made" is a good way to describe it.

Most of his work is commissioned, around 70 percent. Since Sargent and his wife, Judy, don't exactly live on a main traffic trunk (their home is tucked away on County Road 12) they can't count on a lot of walk-in traffic.

That might be changing, however, as word gets around about the high quality of his work.

Demand for the type of furnitureSargent makes is increasing. The market appears to be looking for a return to more traditional and even old-fashioned styles.

Sargent is also part of a larger Moose Lake area arts community that has grown and is getting better about making their presence known.

Many people think the blossoming arts community could eventually grow to rival the artistic presence of Grand Marais on the North Shore.

"There are a lot of talented people in the two-county area," Sargent said. "We're so glad we moved here and have fit in well in this community."

Fitting into small town life isn't always easy, especially to newcomers who come from the Twin Cities.

Sargent was a maintenance supervisor in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Park before moving to Moose Lake. He managed 563 units with 2,300 residents, "a small town," as Sargent puts it.

Judy worked in the area school district while they were there, meaning they both had fairly people intensive occupations. Life in the big city has its own charms and Sargent and his family enjoyed their time there. But clearly, they were looking for a wilderness escape.

They found it in Moose Lake.

"We both love people, but it was nice to get out here to the peace and quiet," Sargent related. "We bought the property in 1990 and we spent nearly every weekend out here."

They were originally looking to purchase land that would provide good hunting territory. An avid outdoorsman, he wanted to have property so he'd have an excuse to get out in the woods.

"The woods where I used to hunt were getting so crowded," he commented. "It got to the point that I didn't feel safe anymore. I wanted to have a place where I could enjoy the things I like to do."

They were picky, though. They looked for a piece of property to buy for two and a half years, hoping to find just the right spot.

The biggest inspiration for buying their current property has its roots way back in Judy's childhood. When she was a little girl, she used to visit her great-grandmother, who lived in a log home. Judy loved that log home. What she didn't know at the time was living just four houses down was her future husband.

"I used to see a group of boys playing down the road," Judy said. "I never met him, but later we figured out it was him."

The first time they saw the property they currently own, they knew they had finally found their spot. It was even complete with a small log cabin.

"We saw it on Saturday," Sargent specified. "I called the realtor and told them not to sell it to anyone else. I said we'd be in with the money on Monday."

Thus began the love affair with the area and what it represented. It didn't take them long to realize they wanted to settle permanently in the area. It also didn't take them long to realize they wanted to live in a log home and build a shop to allow Roger to continue his woodworking.

So they set out to build their home, working almost exclusively on weekends and vacations, slowly but surely building their home. It took them five years.

"We had a lot of family and friends help," Sargent shared. "But there were also a lot of weekends where it was just the two of us here."

There are only 13 sheets of sheet rock in their home. The rest is made of wood, much of it from his own 200 acres of land. The stairs going up to the loft were carved out of logs. It took Sargent three and half hours per step.

"This type of work is very labor intensive," he said. "You have to be patient."

There are also large rewards. Most of the furniture in the home was done by Sargent, and they're proud to have created a living area that reflects who they are and the kind of life they want to live.

Roger Sargent of rural Moose Lake (above) checks on his custom-made solar kiln where he dries the wood he uses in his wood working projects. Sargent built the log home where he and his wife live.

"It's a good life," he said. "It took a lot of effort, but we like what we have here."

What they have there is a growing small business. Since building the house, Sargent has also built his own workshop. He needed a kiln to dry his wood, but found the kits much too expensive - so he built his own solar kiln.

"I come from the Depression era," he expressed. "I like the thinking that says if you can't fix it or build it, you don't deserve to have it."

He's obviously about fixing and building things. Even the tiny old log cabin has been put to good use. The small facility which used to house their family over many weekends has been converted into a gift shop - Pine Tree Creations and Crafts, which Judy operates. The store sells Roger's work as well as crafts complimenting the rustic lifestyle.

The Sargents are now a part of the Autumn Winds Studio Tour, a yearly event where art lovers can tour the studios of area artists. That exposure helps to boost sales and it's pulling more people every year. People now come from several area states.

"It is becoming a pretty good group of people interested in it," Sargent said.

Last year, the Sargents were lucky because a detour led traffic right by their truck. That opportunity is passed now, but they're thankful for any bit of promotion that comes their way.

"My goal is to be able to work from my shop," Sargent revealed. "I'm almost there."

Sargent also works in barnwood, taking pieces of lumber that many people would discard or burn and recreating them into unique pieces. His shop is filled with different types of woods, some of which he's saving for something. He just doesn't know what he's saving them for yet.

"Sometimes you see a piece of wood and you know you'll use it for something," he said. "Sometimes I know right away. And if it doesn't work out, one of the best things about this job is that you can burn your mistakes."

However, Sargent doesn't seem to make many mistakes. After over 30 years perfecting his craft and the respect he shows the wood - "I let it tell me what to do"- you believe his imagination has a plan for every piece of wood he comes across and his hands will finish the job.

He wants those who purchase his work to feel it too.

"What I want is for the person buying it to have as much pleasure as I had in making it," finished Sargent.