Meet Patrick Hotra: “Wood worker” was good enough for Sam Maloof, and it’s fine for me.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patrick Hotra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patrick, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
There are two quotes that made a big impression on me, when I first started wood working classes. They came from two different shop teachers. In the first one I asked him how good a particular joinery technique should be. He was the Manager of a local cabinet shop and his response was; ” Well, I can’t see it from my house”, indicating that there was some amount of latitude in executing the joinery. I asked the same question of a different teacher, who taught wood shop full time at a community college, and he said, ” It should be perfect”. This made a lasting impression on me, and was the answer I was looking for. I wanted to know that excellence mattered, and that was where the bar was set. It was also a constant reminder if I found myself rushing to finish a project or wondering if it was good enough. Perfection is not a goal, however, but a principal that guides each step in designing, selecting materials, executing the design, and selecting a finish. I’m not concerned that I’ve never produced a perfect cabinet or piece of furniture, only that I am following the guiding principal that took me into wood working. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I began wood working in the late 70″s, and since I had a full time career I was only able to pursue it on evenings and weekends. At a time when there was no Internet, I had to rely on books and magazines for inspiration and technical guidance. It was a time of trial and error and I had to work through and learn from my own mistakes. Each simple project I completed encouraged me to try something more challenging.

As I built up my own shop I realized that wood working was more than designing, milling, and assembling wood. It was also about being able to use and tune up all of the tools required to shape the wood.

I was fortunate enough to have my work accepted by several galleries, including the one I am currently at, and got to participate in an environment that was supportive and opened my eyes to the work of many artists, who shared their artistic process across a wide range of mediums.

In 2015 I entered two pieces of work in the Orange County Fair’s Visual Arts Division. The work was accepted, and I have had other pieces accepted each year since, until the Pandemic shut down all of these venues. I have received eleven awards from these juried shows.

What I would like people to know about my work is that I select the best materials available, prepare them to exacting standards, execute precise joinery ( I’ve cut over 3,000 dovetails by hand }, choose the best fasteners, and apply a beautiful and durable finish. The end result is a beautiful piece of wood working that is also functional art.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The list would be very long, because I derive inspiration continuously from the world around me, but my heroes would have to be: Sam Maloof, George Nakashima, James Krenov, and Christian Becksvoort. I particularly like George Nakashia’s message in ” The Soul of a Tree”, that you shouldn’t touch a board until you knew exactly what you were going to use it for. These men led by example, and its why their work is shown in museums and owned by serious collectors. They’re the names that are often quoted, and their designs and work ethics have guided countless wood workers for decades.

Website: I do not have a website and am not on social media