About the Art and the Artist
Wood is a lasting vestige of the beauty of trees. But the knots, insect holes, and other imperfections that contribute character are usually cut away and discarded. I accentuate these natural voids by inlaying individual pieces of stone, shell, and metal within them.
To me, wood is like a painter’s canvas begun by nature. The colors, grain, and figure are already there. The voids are there as well. I find patterns among the arrays of voids and create my own patterns within them, using the inlay materials like paints. These elements of ocean and earth lend brilliance as well as their own patterns and colors.
Trees have always been fascinating to me. Growing up and living in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, they have always been there. I could identify and name more trees than cars early on. I still can. My love for trees sparked an interest in wood and I started cutting into logs saved from firewood piles. Like so many other things in life, I was drawn to wood that was unique and atypical, especially wood with natural imperfections. I began collecting such pieces without any idea of what I would do with them. They were just too beautiful to discard or use for anything ordinary.
One day I read an article by a wood turner about stone inlay in voids in turned items. Thinking it might work for the wood I had collected, I gave it a try. I was hooked with my first project and gradually taught myself the process. I experimented with the principles I learned, altering and expanding techniques when needed. I still get excited every time I begin a new piece, just like the first one.