Carved*Burned

*Painted

When you heat your house entirely with wood, chances are you have stacks and stacks of wood sitting around. I took advantage of the opportunity all around the property by having my dad slice up a log for me into perfect wood slabs. These creations involve multiple steps to accomplish a clean finished look. First, they must be sanded meticulously. Then the design is sketched, carved and burned. The color is achieved with oil paint and a liquin topcoat.

Aspen Flower is named simply because it is a flower carved, burned, and painted onto a slab of aspen. I really struggle with naming my artwork sometimes. This piece was actually really fun to work on. The technique requires a large amount of time paired with a bucket full of elbow grease. It is a fairly simplistic design but one that would still elevate any area of a woodsy, cabin themed home or office.

Centre is a piece that would appeal more to the free-spirited hippies of this world. All the brushstrokes in the paint are centered around the center of the log. Almost as though the paint is pulsing around the heart of the mountains.

Anytime you go against the grain you will find hardship and strife. Sometimes, you need to break down that barrier to pull out something new and beautiful from the woodwork. Sometimes, it is better to follow the swirl of the grain to be able to bring it to new heights. In either direction it takes a lot of work and dedication to accomplish your envisioned goal. Both of these pieces of artwork were once living, thriving trees, bringing beauty and life to someone's backyard. But when their time in the ground was over and their work was done, I was able to give them a new purpose. They certainly argued the point, seeming almost to want to be tossed in the fire to warm our home. But I argued back saying that if only they cooperated, they could become objects of beauty and joy, bringing life to the inside of someone's home just as they once brought life to the outdoors. Eventually, we got along, and these two pieces were displayed in the Clay, Glass, Fiber, Wood show at the SPACe gallery this Autumn. They are soon to be displayed with that new project I seriously need to work on.