Booth 705
(See map below)
About the Artist
I'm a woodworker who inlays individual pieces of stone, shell, and metal inlay within natural voids in the wood. I make both functional and purely artistic pieces including serving boards, wall and standing art pieces, and tables. Although my work is non-representational, my objective is to accentuate natural flaws in the wood. I select wood for beauty, character, and the presence of natural voids in an aesthetically pleasing arrangement. For me, wood is like a painter's canvas started by nature. The colors, grain, and figure are already there, as are the arrays of natural voids. I find patterns among the arrays of voids and create patterns within them, using the inlay materials like paints.
A self-taught artist, I developed my inlay process through much study and experimentation. A point of pride is my ability to make it appear as if the inlay has always been in the wood. Additional characteristics of my style include preserving natural shapes where present and alteration to more organic shapes where possible. The use of clear finishes preserves and enhances the wood's natural beauty. Due to variations in the wood and the inlay materials, all my work is essentially one of a kind.
Insect holes, bark inclusions, knots, cracks, and other natural voids are among the aspects that give complexity and individuality to wood. I use these as design elements, drawing attention to the flaws by using inlay in colors that contrast with the hues in wood. I chose the natural materials stone, shell, and metal as they exist in various colors, tones, and luminosities.
Based in Homer City, Pennsylvania.
