“It is my hope that my customers will take away a bit of knowledge of the history of the particular flag they’ve purchased, and perhaps that will inspire them to learn more.”
— Art Pinney, Patriot Wood
Photo courtesy Patriot Wood
When his two children were very young, Art Pinney enjoyed working as a photographer because it allowed him to work from home and take care of his kids during the week. After his youngest child started kindergarten, Art quickly realized just how precious (and limited) quality time spent with his children really was.
Deciding to transition away from photography, Art began spending more time honing his skills in woodworking. He enjoyed all kinds of carpentry—from simple projects, like helping his kids build birdhouses, to more challenging tasks, like building a cherry wood bed for his daughter or crafting a zebra wood treasure box for his son. He started making flags while he was between jobs.
Starting out with just a few flags, Art gradually expanded his repertoire to include dozens of designs—everything from early American colonial flags to individual state flags to patriotic and other recognizable emblems.
“I love history, so I enjoyed learning about each of the flags I was creating,” Art told The Marketplace.
Photo courtesy Patriot Wood
Studying the historical origins of the flags sparked his desire to ensure every one of his flags was sized and designed as accurately as possible.
“It’s important to me to capture the spirit and character of the flag through my art form/craft while staying true to the design specifications of each flag,” Art said.
In a blog post earlier this year, Art described the first wooden flag he built.
“I made my first US flag wall hanging from discarded pallet wood. It had a simple but folksy look to it. After I was finished, I liked how the flag looked, but I’m a perfectionist, so I began to think about all the ways I could improve upon it and make the final product even better. I wanted the flag to have a less rustic feel and more of a clean, exact look. The paint colors needed to be a true representation of our country’s flag. The dimensions of the flag needed to be exact.”
Photo courtesy Patriot Wood
Wanting a flag that could be displayed both indoors and outdoors, Art was concerned the pallet wood he used for his first creation might not hold up well in all-weather conditions. From that point on, he began handcrafting his flags from red western cedar wood, finished with durable exterior paint.
At the suggestion of his son, Art decided to start selling his American-made flags, a decision he said has changed his life for the better.
“I give credit to my son for leading me to make a business of selling my flags, because he is the one who said to me one day, ‘Dad, you could sell these! People would buy your flags!’” Art said.
Photo courtesy Patriot Wood
As important as it was for Art to make a living with his business, Art explained it also became the means of teaching his children the value of hard work.
“Hard work pays off,” Art said, adding, “I want to lead by example and teach my children to aspire to achieve their goals and dreams.”
Photo courtesy Patriot Wood
As for Art, he said he’s happy to be doing something he loves while keeping American-made craftsmanship alive.
“I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to transition away from that business and into another, still doing something I love. I am blessed to be living the American Dream!” Art said.
To learn more, visit Patriot Wood at The Marketplace by TheBlaze.
Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images
