The Wood Artist
 9780973071085, 0973071087

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Copyright © 2017 Norman Pirollo All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used without sole permission of the copyright holder except in use of a review. Published by NewArt Press The publisher and authors have attempted to be as accurate as possible in the creation of this book. The content, including but not limited to: statistics, screenshots, availability of products, etc., are as accurate as possible, as of publication date. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet, some statistics, terms of service, etc., may have changed. While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the authors nor the publisher assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein. The views expressed are those of the authors alone and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. Warning and Disclaimer: The information in this book is offered with the understanding that it does not contain legal, financial, or other professional advice. Individuals requiring such services should consult a competent professional. The author and publisher make no representations about the suitability of the information contained in this book for any purpose. The material is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this book, errors and omissions can occur. The author and publisher assume no responsibility for any damages arising from the use of this book, or alleged to have resulted in connection with this book. This book is not completely comprehensive. Some readers may wish to consult additional books for advice. Typeset in Cambria with permission from Microsoft. ISBN-13: 978-0-9730710-8-5 ISBN-10: 0-9730710-8-7

THE WOOD ARTIST Creating Art Through Wood Norman Pirollo

CONTENTS

☐☐ Introduction A Fascination With Wood The Wood Studio The Maquette Form Over Function Wood Figure Wood As Art Wall Art Sculpture Redux Wood Microscopy Art Styles and Genres Conclusion About The Author

INTRODUCTION ☐☐

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure” Paulo Coelho I WROTE THIS BOOK to share the creative journey in my development as a wood artist. The journey begins with an introduction to my background in the computer industry, shifts to my interest in working with wood, and ultimately ends with the development of work in the genre of wood art. At face value, these pursuits could not be more different from one another. One might ask how you can get from computers to woodworking to creating art. The answer lies in the intermediate steps of the journey. A computer career led to woodworking, progressed to furniture making, and subsequently to sculpture and wall-mounted wood art. Having arrived at this juncture in my quest to become an artist using wood as a medium, it would be a straight line to the creation of wood art using figured woods. The journey was not an easy one, having been primarily self-taught and lacking a background in the visual arts. I quickly understood a need to associate with fellow artists and establish a dialogue with them. This helped considerably in my understanding of the art world and the creation of art. There were periods of doubt where my decision to pursue the arts came across as eccentric.

Friends and acquaintances, although supportive, were often bewildered at my decision to pursue a career in the visual arts. Through determination and perseverance, my knowledge of the visual arts increased as I slowly envisioned myself as a wood artist. The radical shift from creating tangible, functional objects to creating non-functional wood art was something I had never foreseen doing. After all, art is purely decorative and fulfills no function aside from enriching one’s life. This was the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Realizing that knowledge of art history was critical to my success as a visual artist, I immersed myself into the visual arts. This was accomplished by reading and studying art movements, art periods and well-known artists of these periods. Art history is a discipline in itself and can be overwhelming through the sheer volume of available information. Copious amounts of reading helped considerably in putting the pieces together and understanding

the art movements and art styles of each period. Since the visual arts would ultimately become the third career in the continuum of my life, I had little time to spare in the learning process. The bulk of my formative years had already past; it was now time to act quickly and ramp up my knowledge of the arts. Although the daunting task of learning a completely new discipline was at times discouraging, it was viewed as a welcome experience. After all, had I not been successful, a return could always be made to my former career. Knowing and understanding this helped considerably in maintaining my inner peace. Throughout my life, I have sought to challenge myself by acquiring new knowledge and skills, and so this would become part of the continuum. There were many false starts in transitioning from a computer career to woodworking to becoming a self-employed wood artist. The opportunity to work at something I truly enjoy has ultimately brought solace and independence to my life. I never look back at missed opportunities. Gratitude is also owed to a supportive spouse, friends and colleagues who had an influence in my journey. It is critical to have a spouse or partner that supports your journey.

The journey of becoming a wood artist was also one of evolution. Through my vocation as a furniture designer and maker, my work evolved from functional to purely non-functional. With several decades of woodworking expertise under my belt, it was not difficult to transition between creating functional pieces to non-functional wood art and sculpture. The challenging aspect of the transition was not technical but rather one primarily of mindset. My only regret is that I had not been enlightened earlier of the opportunity to create art. At times, it felt like I was merely catching up to where others had already been. I realized, however, that the growing pains of learning about an entirely new process of creating decorative objects would be a temporary hurdle in my long-term journey. One day, this would all become second nature to me. I embraced the new direction in my life. It is also critical to view any setbacks as valuable experience in your own journey. The time and effort invested in following

your own dream will be well worth it. Hopefully this book will inspire you to pursue your dream. Life is short and if we aren’t doing what we enjoy, what is the point. Throughout this book, every effort has been made to keep art jargon down to a minimum to keep you captivated and to maintain your interest.

Norman Pirollo

A FASCINATION WITH WOOD ☐☐ “Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams” Donovan Bailey

MY COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY education led me to a career in the computer industry. When I began in this industry, it was an exciting period. Computers had not yet become mainstream and were rapidly shrinking in size as computer chip technology increased in density. Computers in the home were many years away and still in the realm of science fiction. Existing technologies began to appear antiquated and computers would soon relieve us of monotonous day-to-day tasks. The sheer number of students entering the Computer Science academic path was overwhelming as this was to be wave of the future. I soon became one of these students and was eager to learn as much as possible about computer technology. Over the next years and decades, I held various roles in the computer industry. My career began as a hardware technologist and ended as a software support engineer. The fast-paced evolution of computers over this thirty-year period has been astounding. Computers began as curiosities and eventually evolved into mass consumer items. The software that ran computers had also evolved from handcrafted code to common, widely available software packages. This rapid evolution ultimately eroded my fascination with computers. Computers had now become black boxes. It had become more exciting to use the vast selection of available software packages than to fiddle with coding and actually program the computers.

Carleton University, Computer Science Program 1984-1988 I began to seek other outlets for my creativity. In the latter years of my computer industry career, I developed an affinity for creating tangible objects. The satisfaction derived from my computer employment was diminishing year over year. Witnessing multiple computer product cycles come and go, computer complexity increasing, and an ever-increasing volume of computer hardware and software, left me disillusioned. In view of this, I began to develop a second career as a woodworker and furniture maker. Working at my day job and moonlighting as a woodworker overcame the dilemma of diminishing job satisfaction. I soon began to realize my creative side was suffering while working at my career. Developing computer software programs would only go so far in addressing any repressed creativity. To satisfy my creative urge, a longing to make tangible objects became more appealing. Through woodworking, a new, positive energy and outlook on life was suddenly gained. Woodworking and the wood medium greatly appealed to me. Before long, I had begun to create objects such as small boxes. Within a year or two of pursuing college level woodworking and cabinetmaking courses, I began to

slowly outfit a woodworking shop. Soon, my job was merely viewed as financial support for my growing hobby.

First band sawn boxes created in 1993 with shaped, organic styling. The transition to woodworking was sporadic. Beginning with a few woodworking courses, my focus then returned to my computer career. Later, I pursued more woodworking studies. My financial state was precarious during this time as it was vital to support myself, my lifestyle and my home. Opting out of a computer career was out of the question for several more years, although the idea did cross my mind on several occasions. I had become convinced that developing my woodworking skills would be a hedge against losing my position in the computer industry. In the worse case scenario, I could always resort to woodworking as a means of supporting myself, even if only temporarily. Pay scales for woodworkers were dismal, however, and many were in it for the love of wood and woodworking. All this combined to keep me firmly entrenched in my computer career for many more years to come.

A series of ornate music boxes created in the 1995 timeframe. As my computer career advanced, greater challenges were sought with computers. A return to school for a one-year period allowed me to pursue a different, more rewarding aspect of computer technology. Following the oneyear period, I graduated as a software developer with the knowledge to write complex computer code in the latest computer language. This would hopefully introduce a creative component into my computer career. I began to seek positions involving computer programming. During this period, my pursuit of woodworking continued. The immense learning curve of developing woodworking skills was a welcome challenge as it introduced a new direction in my life. An appreciation for wood began and how it applied to so many aspects of our lives. From home construction to furniture, wood is ubiquitous in our surroundings. Less so than in previous generations, but it continues to be a stable, reliable medium from which to build upon.

Over the following years, I grappled with the dual personality of sustaining a computer industry persona and that of a woodworker. A woodworker who blossomed whenever discussion revolved around woodworking. Discussing computers was increasingly becoming a chore. My interest in computers was waning and I found myself relying on many years of experience to push me through. Often, I would research the unique properties of different woods and how best to use them. Designing wood objects in my mind and transferring the designs to paper sketches became a pastime. The pure joy of being able to create objects from raw wood was incredibly enticing. The woodworking hobby fulfilled me in many ways in the period from 1992-1999. Towards the latter part of the 1990s, confidence in my woodworking skills had grown to where a new woodworking business was launched. A niche was discovered in creating jewelry boxes and I successfully pursued this. The business White Mountain Design was part-time where I would work at my computer job during the day and at the business in the evenings and weekends. Knowing that I could fall back on my own business provided me with a strong sense of financial independence. The reliance on my long computer career was slowly diminishing year over year.

A first business card of my new woodworking business, 1996. A small woodworking studio was set up where a newly designed series of

elegant jewelry boxes could be methodically crafted. The jewelry box designs were contemporary and included unique elements to distinguish the designs from the competition. The boxes were individually handcrafted and the interior components hand-fitted. My clientele was far and wide. A few of the boxes were shipped to Europe but my main market was North America, primarily the US. I vividly recall these years and the lengths I went to ensure that each jewelry box be flawless. The desire of ensuring that my clients were completely satisfied was a priority. They would hopefully not consider returning their order for any reason. This criterion raised the quality of my work and continually ensured use of the best quality woods and hardware in the designs.

New series of elaborate, contemporary styled jewelry boxes, 1997. The jewelry boxes were soon offered in a selection of high quality, handpicked woods. It was necessary for the woods to have matching grain throughout the exterior of the box. The matching grain element created a harmonious aesthetic in each of the jewelry boxes. In view of this, I researched several domestic and exotic

woods. Different characteristics of the woods used in my designs included color, grain pattern, durability, stability and surface texture. The jewelry box designs were offered in an increasing variety of woods to appeal to a larger clientele. I also began to experiment and mix woods within each box. Highly figured woods would be used in the top of the box where conventional woods used for the sides. This combination had great appeal, as the highly figured top became a focal point of the box. Research and experiments with exotic woods led me to develop an appreciation of these highly figured woods. Each of the wood surfaces exhibited a unique set of graphics or grain pattern in an abstract context. Woods such as Australian lacewood, Tiger maple, Flame birch, Bird’s Eye maple, all had very unique graphics where figured wood was the common element. The fascination with figured woods continued as I eventually progressed from making jewelry boxes to creating furniture. While continuing in my computer career, further time and money was invested into an advanced furniture making education. In the late 1990s, it became clear that a computer career was not in my cards for much longer. Downsizing at major corporations had become commonplace and even the computer industry was not immune to this. Large computer firms began to shed workers in droves. Computers had become increasingly reliable and software was now turnkey with little customization necessary. Promises of increasingly longer computer uptime became a competitive edge for many computer manufacturers. Exceptional reliability greatly decreased the need for regular computer repair and service. The writing was on the wall as computer technology marched into the mainstream. Computers had now become a commodity. With all this in mind, I soon realized the need to develop a second career for my future. My career choice revolved around designing and creating furniture, specifically contemporary styled furniture.

To be distinguished from mainstream furniture makers, new and innovative designs incorporating a selection of high-quality figured woods would be offered. In 1996, I too became a victim of downsizing. My position had become redundant and a ten-year career at my firm abruptly ended. After a short period of coping with the shock of downsizing, an idea for an interesting project was hatched. I had read about a software package that was

designed for training purposes. Companies would use this software to create training packages. The software would be used to create interactive training. The idea was to deliver woodworking training using this software. Computers could be combined with woodworking. The trend then was moving towards online training. This software was powerful and designed with the user in mind. An inquiry was made into acquiring the software. The cost of the software and commercial license was high. It was critical to make an informed decision before moving ahead with the project. The radical, new idea of offering woodworking training over the Internet grew on me over the next few weeks. With further inquiries about the software package, it was discovered that there was a local vendor to provide me with a demonstration of the software. Upon meeting with the vendor, I was shown how they use this software. This vendor developed training packages of their own using the training software and I left quite impressed. Shortly afterwards, the training development software was acquired along with a commercial license to use it. The commercial license would allow me to develop a training package and both market and distribute it. Research began on the best approach to develop the online woodworking training. It was decided to offer it as a comprehensive course. Having been taught woodworking using a traditional approach, wood basics are taught, then hand tool basics and then machines and power tools. Joinery was taught as its own subject. Training modules for each of these topics would need to be developed and written. Further research into creating interactive training led me to the topic of storyboarding. Storyboarding is where the training is detailed and broken down into modules. The storyboarding process was then followed in the creation of the woodworking training. The scope of the project was very large and since the training was comprehensive, many woodworking topics would need to be covered. Utilizing the storyboarding approach, a list of ordered modules and lessons was drawn up. Individual lessons within the modules were then developed. The interactive training slowly came together using this ordered process. Developing the woodworking training without following this ordered process would have been daunting. Purchasing the expensive training development software package provided

me the incentive to go forward and complete this project. Soon, storyboarding of the training had begun with work on the initial modules and lessons. The training would be a combination of text and images, with one image on every page. The training could be accessed on a computer and was set up as a book. At the end of each lesson and module, there would be a series of multiple-choice questions. I found the quiz element of the training to be an excellent method of reinforcing what was just learned. As the days and weeks went by, additional modules and lessons were completed. Much of the photography in the woodworking training would need to be created as well as the inclusion of stock photography (creative license images). The combination of text, images, and interactive questions was quite powerful and effective. Students could restart a lesson if they did not perform well in the question session. My excitement gradually grew about this woodworking training and the fact that it could be distributed on a CDROM. The woodworking course project continued over the next weeks. Each day, text for each of the lessons within a module was written. To make sense of it all and to maintain my sanity, I allowed myself a few days to complete each lesson. This approach continually motivated me as the lessons and modules would build on one another. The approach worked well, although some lessons took longer than planned while other lessons were created in less time. A necessary criterion was the limited data size of a CDROM, since the complete course would need to fit on a single CD. This was accomplished through judicious juggling of lessons and modules and by combining other lessons. Technical support was also available to me for the software package used to create the training. I tapped into this on more than one occasion. The local vendor helped considerably in addressing issues experienced in the development process. I recall working many hours each day over the summer of 1998 to complete this woodworking training. The lessons and modules were coming together, and the project was finally completed later that summer. After some deliberation, I decided to label the woodworking training simply as a Woodworking Course. After exhaustive testing and fixing of software issues and bugs, the new Woodworking Course CDROM course was ready to be marketed. In my market research, it was found that no similar

woodworking training existed on the market. A new niche had been created. Later that summer, it was decided to begin test marketing. Additions were made to my existing web site describing the course in detail. A photo of the CDROM was inserted at its own web page and a reasonable price for the course was set. The SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of my web site was also tweaked to include strategic keywords and “meta tags”. This enabled my web site to be ranked higher on “woodworking course” searches. Soon afterwards, orders for the new Woodworking Course CDROM began trickling in. After shipping a few CD’s and waiting a period of time, I decided to contact a few of the students. I asked if they enjoyed the Woodworking Course and if they had any issues with it. There was some anxiety in asking these questions since the Woodworking Course CDROM delivery mechanism was very new and revolutionary. I had no idea of how it would be received by the public. The few clients we contacted were overwhelmingly positive about it; they were excited to learn about woodworking while at their computer.

At the time, a booklet of projects and notes was also included with the course. This was to encourage students to work on simple projects. Over the next few weeks, the woodworking course package was fine-tuned and optimized for quicker access. The editing portion of the development was also ongoing, with small corrections performed where necessary. Overall, the Woodworking Course CD was a success. I have been marketing this product for over nineteen years. In this period, two lessons and a new module on Veneering have been added. The photography has also updated as the quality of digital images improved. The lessons are in the form of videos today.

A recent photo (2017) of the updated Woodworking Course DVD.

In early 2000, due to a precarious financial situation and the move from a small workshop to a new home and woodworking studio, my best laid plans changed. My wife and I had a new home built with a large adjoining woodworking studio. Unfortunately, cost overruns caused me to return to the computer industry. In the period from 2000-2008, I snagged an interesting and unique position that only involved a three-day work week. This arrangement allowed me to devote several week days to my woodworking business. The furniture making studio was designed with large windows to draw in

ambient light. The new studio also featured a spacious interior with a high ceiling where I could immerse myself at furniture making. In this period, the new woodworking studio was sufficiently large to be able to create furniture in.

At one of my workbenches in my new furniture making studio.

An overhead view of a section of the new furniture making studio. My initial furniture pieces were derived from a James Krenov design, the basic standalone display cabinet. James Krenov, an American of Scandinavian descent, was a renowned furniture maker who revered wood. He had written a series of books describing his furniture making techniques and philosophy. His approach would be to design a piece of furniture around the characteristics of a particular selection of woods. This was contrary to the mainstream process of designing and then making furniture simply using wood as a medium. My earliest cabinet of this genre was created in 2004. The cabinet was large and rested on a custom, integral wood stand. This particular cabinet was also used to experiment with combining solid woods with figured woods. The appeal of this combination carried over from my earlier jewelry box designs.

A first piece of furniture, a large standalone display cabinet, 2004. The design for this initial cabinet adopted several elements of James Krenov standalone cabinets. The elements included frame and panel backs and the use of knife hinges for doors. Dowel joinery was used in the bottom, sides, and top. The interior layout was sparse with minimal shelving. Since the cabinet was designed as a display cabinet to hold art objects, the interior was configured with spacious compartments. Being very drawn to the James Krenov philosophy and style of furniture convinced me to pursue a formal education in furniture making. In this period, an upstart furniture making school had been established in my area. The Rosewood Studio distinguished

itself as a predominantly hand tool oriented school. I attended this fine furniture making school over a period of three years. The school was based upon the philosophy of the renowned furniture maker, James Krenov. Woodworking machines were used in the initial processing of wood, but the later stages involved the strict use of hand tools. So much so, that the use of sandpaper was frowned upon. It was instead preferred to hand plane and scrape wood to achieve a lustrous surface and smooth texture. Sanding was seen as dulling wood since the wood fibers on the surface are torn and ragged instead of being cleanly sliced using sharp tools. I successfully completed a selection of courses at this furniture making school in the 2004-2008 period. Each course introduced me to a new set of techniques that continually improved my skills and processes. Renowned, established furniture makers, several of whom had been published, taught many of the courses. These makers excelled at teaching and explaining techniques they had adopted over many years of experience at furniture making.

Slices of highly figured ambrosia maple veneers used in furniture. It was during this period that I also began to experiment with the use of veneers in furniture making. Through my embrace of highly figured exotic and domestic woods, I soon realized that using these woods in solid form

could be considered a form of sacrilege. Instead of using a solid figured board, it could instead be resawn into thin veneer sheets and the veneers then applied to an inexpensive substrate. The substrate would be a dimensionally stable wood or man-made material exhibiting next to no wood movement. This process greatly increased the yield I could derive from a single, highly figured board. Highly figured wood is often very expensive and acquiring a selection of boards with alluring graphics can be a challenge. Sawing the boards into sheets or slices also allowed me to assemble the slices to create a wider veneer sheet exhibiting a mirror effect, also known as bookmatching. The process of attaching the veneer slices to a substrate was originally performed using a mechanical press until I invested in a vacuum veneer press. The vacuum press allowed me to perform veneering at a more rapid rate and with improved results. The veneers were uniformly pressed onto a substrate, virtually eliminating air pockets or bubbles. By resawing my own veneers, the thickness of the veneer slices could be controlled.

“Chaotic Cabinet” veneered display cabinet with veneered sides and doors using highly figured veneers. Commercial veneers sheets are typically very thin whereas resawn veneers are thicker. The extra thickness allowed me to work the surface of the wood with hand tools, much like solid wood. The use of veneers enabled me to create a more interesting aesthetic and dramatically increase the appeal of my contemporary styled furniture.

“Twin Plumes” cabinet, featured in forward for “500 Cabinets” book. In the two years following my education at the fine furniture making school, a series of display cabinets was completed using the veneer process. My style followed that of James Krenov, the furniture maker I much admired. Each

cabinet on stand was increasingly complex and involved a greater use of highly figured veneer slices. A few of the cabinets were created speculatively while others were commission based from clients. This was my entry into furniture making, progressing from being a box maker to creating unique and dramatic furniture in a few short years. Although the learning curve was steep, pursuing a curriculum of courses at a fine furniture making school expedited the process. Late in 2008, I was once again downsized in my job. This third and last layoff occurring in my computer career was to be a seminal moment in my life. This layoff directly influenced my decision to leave the computer industry for good. I now felt confident at succeeding as a furniture maker; having the education, the furniture studio, and years of accumulated expertise. My next step was to establish a new furniture design company and begin the process of acquiring clients.

Refined Edge Design, furniture design + build, established in 2008.

In this period, I often battled the nagging doubt of whether to return to the computer industry. At this point, I had accumulated thirty years of experience in the computer industry and it was tempting to return and perhaps work for a few more years. Several more years of work would allow me to accumulate a

larger nest egg from which to draw on. Financial security was at the forefront, but felt I was at an age where it was critical to take the leap. These thoughts and concerns were ultimately shed, and my focus instead shifted to my new furniture design and creation business. Through my years of experience at woodworking, I reassured myself that this was the correct choice. A new and exciting chapter in my life was unfolding; one where creativity was at the forefront. With my mind cleared, it became critical to immerse myself into furniture making and focus on being successful at it. However, several furniture makers I had discussions with pointed out the difficulty of earning a living from furniture making. They pointed out that marketing of the furniture was as critical as creating it. Developing a client base was the key to developing a successful furniture making business. I had also read this in my research of a career change into furniture making. Establishing a clientele for my work would therefore become the emphasis of my initial marketing. The one of a kind furniture I intended to create would merely occupy a small niche within the furniture making world. Despite this, I convinced myself that this was the right direction to follow. If all else failed, a return to the computer industry was always an option. Knowing this reassured me to finally establish myself as a furniture maker.

THE WOOD STUDIO ☐☐ “It is your passion that empowers you to be able to do that thing you were created to do” T. D. Jakes BUILDING OF STANDALONE CABINETS using predominantly hand tools forced me to slow down and focus on the actual build instead of the end product. I find that when woodworkers begin they are excited to create. This makes complete sense since creating objects begets creating objects, or success begets success. The satisfaction gained from creating objects is often a newfound talent that has not yet been discovered throughout an individual’s life. Creating is often suppressed or frowned upon in society today. It is easier to simply purchase mass-produced objects. The instant gratification gained from simply purchasing something far outweighs the time and labor necessary to create an object. Having said this, there is a growing maker movement where the virtues of creating, repurposing and recycling objects are embraced as environmentally conscious. A movement against a disposable or throwaway society is slowly occurring and will hopefully become entrenched in the future. The craft of working with wood as a medium is once again gaining popularity. Specifically, a rise in popularity of the woodworking craft using hand tools. Today, creating furniture and decorative objects using hand tools can be viewed as a rebellion against mass-produced furniture and objects. Interestingly, a similar movement had risen against the advent of the Industrial Age in the late 1800’s. The Arts and Crafts movement promoted the manufacture of furniture and objects using simple and honest craft techniques. The simple techniques, when applied to woodworking, involved the use of hand tools. After several years of woodworking, the typical woodworker will have mastered a collection of techniques. The challenge then shifts to design rather than creating. I felt that this was an opportune time to develop a new and different approach to woodworking.

With these thoughts in mind along with an immersion into the James Krenov style of work, my motivation to work with hand tools expanded. Hand tool use enables a woodworker to slow down and take stock of the project they are working on. By their very nature, hand tools demand a slower and more methodical approach. Working strictly with hand tools can present a challenge to a woodworker used to performing tasks using machines. In all my years of woodworking, it never dawned on me to work exclusively with hand tools. I thought that hand tool techniques were taught to occasionally work a difficult piece of wood or to fit wood pieces together. Hand tools created a new direction in my woodworking. New processes and techniques would need to be developed through use of hand tools. How to saw veneers and prepare veneers using hand tools is one example. In case construction, veneering processes are critical to using figured woods. Since the use of veneers is the heart of acquiring more yield from beautifully figured boards, this technique would need to be thoroughly mastered. Other hand tool processes are how to effectively use hand planes to prepare boards and sharpening and honing of plane irons. The chisel is another frequently used tool in the hand tool workshop and familiarization with this tool would need to be developed. Other hand tools which shape wood such as scrapers, chisels and spokeshaves, along with handsaws to cut wood, are common in hand tool woodworking shops. In this style of woodworking, hand tools are used to prepare wood surfaces as well as preparing edges of boards. In my wood studio, there would be very little machine use aside from the initial cutting of rough planks into dimensioned pieces and sawn veneers. This was the style of James Krenov and College of the Redwoods. An appreciation of wood and working with its characteristics and traits, is gained through the use of hand tools. Grain orientation is a big part of fine furniture construction. Until this time, I had been joining wood for mechanical strength without much emphasis on an aesthetically pleasing appearance. In this newfound philosophy, it was critical to follow established principles of grain orientation. For example, it is important to select matching grain orientation for the rails and stiles of a door panel. Mixing plain-sawn with rift-sawn or quarter-sawn wood can destroy the harmony and the aesthetic of a piece of furniture.

Since my early work was predominantly small jewelry boxes, correct grain orientation could easily be performed by crosscutting the box sides in sequence and then joining the sides in the same sequence. With larger furniture, this technique is not possible. To avoid discontinuous graphics, components should be cut from the same boards and in the same grain orientation. The larger a piece of furniture, the more obvious a grain mismatch would appear. This topic was covered at length in my fine woodworking education. I absorbed this all and began to feel much closer to wood as a medium. The nuances of wood also began to be appreciated; how wood should be revered rather than treated as a disposable commodity. This philosophy of working with wood would inherently prolong the furniture making process although the furniture would be of much finer and higher quality. The result would be an aesthetically pleasing furniture piece. The question arose, was this the style of woodworking I wanted to pursue? Returning to my workshop after my newly acquired fine woodworking education provided me a different outlook of woodworking. Most of what was learned was implemented in the next pieces of furniture built. My excitement grew about this new style of woodworking as it breathed new life into my work. I soon developed a new appreciation of hand tools and their use. An awareness developed of slowing down and enjoying the process rather than simply following the “end justifies the means” approach to woodworking.

Rosewood Certificate of Completion, Craftsmanship series (2004) The fine woodworking school regularly brought in renowned guest instructors to teach more advanced courses. One course in particular was Advanced Joinery with Yeung Chan. Yeung Chan was an expert in this field. After inquiring into the course objectives, I enrolled in the course and attended class late in August 2004. Prior to enrolling, I purchased a book Yeung Chan had written, Classic Joints with Power Tools. Reading up on instructors prior to attending their courses was informative and would familiarize me with their work and philosophy. Yeung Chan excelled at intricate joinery, specifically oriental joinery. He brought a set of hand tools with him as he travelled from California to teach. He made all the hand tools and they were nicely arranged in a beautiful hand tool chest. It was exciting and inspiring to see this tool chest in person since there was a photo of the tool chest in his book. The course was intense and we were taught how to create many types of intricate, compound joints using simple

jigs. Most of the joinery was created using a table saw and mortising machines along with specialized jigs we had access to in the school workshop.

Author and Yeung Chan with his intricately built tool chest (2004) Upon returning from this course, I proceeded to create a few of the jigs we had used in class. Time was also invested in creating the same joinery we created in class. This was to ensure I had a good understanding of the concepts learned since they were fairly complex. A series of sample joints was also created to later be used when giving demonstrations and to incorporate in my Woodworking Course CD. Although the joints appeared complex to make, they were aesthetically pleasing in appearance. The joints were designed with an emphasis on prominent visual presentation. This new exposure to advanced joinery techniques would greatly advance my skill set. The immense satisfaction gained from attending this class inspired me to move forward with my own work. My confidence increased to where

intricate joinery no longer intimidated me. I thought, if I could create such complex joinery, the ubiquitous joinery I had been using would become second nature to me. Often, we need to extend past our comfort zone and take risks. In my case, the risk was to delve outside my boundary and create joinery I could only dream about. This short but intense education became a stepping stone to further studies in fine furniture making.

Miter jig to create complex joinery in “Advanced Joinery” class. Plans provided by Yeung Chan (2004). My own version above, created soon after completion of course. My outlook on woodworking had dramatically changed over the course of these few months in 2004. After returning to my workshop and revisiting my methods of work, I aspired to work more diligently with hand tools. This new direction both excited and challenged me! Although dust generation in my shop was under control, my ultimate goal was to work in a dust-free woodworking environment. Hand tools address this well since they only generate wood shavings. A few higher quality hand

tools were also purchased over that summer. I have been using these hand tools for over a decade now and they continue to function like new. After acquiring more hand tools, it was becoming clear that additional storage was necessary. Some wall cabinets were modified to be able to store hand planes. Other wall cabinets were designed and created. Additional courses were also pursued at Rosewood Studio over the next three years. The courses were specialized and typically taught by both in-house instructors and renowned guest instructors.

Three-way miter joints used in the “Advanced Joinery with Yeung Chan” project. Each student would create a stand using this very intricate and complex joinery (2004).

More complex joinery created after “Advanced Joinery” class (2004). The guest instructors had successfully established themselves in the field of woodworking, having written books, being published in magazine articles, and through their teaching and work. Guest instructors included Garrett Hack, Craig Vandall Stevens, Yeung Chan and Michael Fortune. Each of these woodworking masters specialized in certain aspects of woodworking. They each brought a diverse set of skills and techniques to woodworking. Typically, their work was excellent and involved considerable attention to detail. As with any vocation, experience breeds success. These masters had become successful in their own right. They could teach woodworking with ease and were not averse to sharing their own work methods and techniques gained over the years. The passion they demonstrated in both their work and sharing of their knowledge was self-evident. As an example, Garrett Hack and Craig Vandall Stevens are well known for adding elements of detail to

their furniture pieces.

Hand plane cabinet to store hand planes and to keep dust out By attending the courses taught by these master woodworkers, I was better able to understand the hand tool process. The different approaches they each taught would provide me with ideas for developing my own methods of work. The remainder of the courses I attended at Rosewood Studio would be over a period of three years. An average of three courses and workshops were followed each year. The final course attended in 2007 had to do with Inlay Techniques, taught by Garrett Hack. Often curious about the process to create inlay and after trial and error over the years, I decided to learn this

technique from a master. The course exceeded my expectations and the students created many, different styles of inlay during the exercises. The most complex type of inlay I created was the fan inlay that consisted of multiple segments in the shape of a fan. I also had the opportunity to experiment with shell inlay such as “Mother of Pearl” and “Abalone”.

Sample of fan inlay and “Mother of Pearl” inlay in unusual shapes Craig Vandall Stevens taught another in the series of courses. The course Hand Skills from East & West also featured Japanese joinery skills. We were introduced to Japanese hand planes and chisels and how to use them. The course opened my eyes to alternative methods of creating joinery. Japanese hand tools are quite fascinating to use. As an example, hand planes are pulled instead of pushed along the surface of a board. The Japanese craftsmen worship their tools and invest in very high-quality steel to create them. The tools are typically all made by hand using century old traditions. My hand tool indoctrination continued through the years 2004 to 2007!

From my first course at Rosewood Studio and leading to the final course, grain orientation was drilled into us as students. Identifying grain patterns and grain orientation could not be emphasized more. With discontinuous graphics or grain patterns, furniture pieces tend to attract the wrong attention. Instead, with harmonious and continuous graphics or grain orientation, the focus of a furniture piece would be on the furniture design or elements designed into the piece. Examples of both discontinuous wood graphics and harmonious wood graphics were often shown to reinforce into us the criticality of selecting woods to de-emphasize patterns in wood grain. If wood orientation blends into the background, the furniture design would be more prominent. Woods with linear graphics should always be selected as structural members of a furniture piece. This effect serves to form a cohesive, harmonious and peaceful furniture piece. It is this knowledge that has brought new awareness to my work. Prior to this higher learning in furniture making, I would purchase wood without much regard to grain orientation or how it was cut. It was assumed it was all similarly cut. Instead, I would focus on how clear the wood was and select woods with a minimum of imperfections. Although this is good practice, selecting woods on grain orientation and method of cut would also need to be factored in. I almost regretted purchasing an earlier stockpile of boards without regard to grain orientation and type of cut. New wood purchases would now factor in these new criteria. With this newfound focus on wood selection, I began to view furniture in a different light. When examining furniture, the selection and orientation of the woods used in construction became immediately obvious to me. If furniture components were assembled without regard to grain orientation, the visual clash spoke to me as furniture originating from a factory. Furniture factories have piles of similarly cut furniture components where efficiencies demand they be assembled quickly. There is no time or effort placed in matching wood grain. Since the furniture is stained afterwards, it is expected that a heavily-pigmented wood stain will cover the wood grain. This opaque stain masks any discontinuous grain or imperfections. This is not the case with fine furniture originating from a one-man wood studio.

Example of harmony in grain orientation in panels for back of cabinet. The back-panel inserts are book-matched where each panel is a mirror image of the other panel. The workshop was now slowly evolving into more of a hand tool oriented furniture studio. Although all my original machinery was kept and the bench areas were enhanced and adapted for hand tool use. Where workbenches were simply used to assemble furniture components in the past, the new

emphasis was to shape furniture components on a workbench. Workbench vises had to be strong and rigid to handle hand planing, hand sawing and chiseling operations. Workbenches have evolved very slowly over the centuries. Workbench vises, bench dogs and holdfasts are such a simple and straightforward method of holding work that very few improvements in work holding have been necessary since.

Shooting board used to accurately trim ends of small boards Two new dedicated woodworking workbenches were purchased with proper tail vises and front vises. Lower trays were made and installed in each of them. Specialized jigs were also designed to be able to work with small detail saws. Bench hooks would fit over the front edge of a workbench and allow me to cut small pieces of wood precisely at either 45, 60 or 90 degrees. Prior

to this, I would think nothing of performing this task on either a table saw or band saw. With the new hand tool philosophy in mind, methods were sought to perform tasks with hand tools instead of using machines. There would be next to no setup using hand tools and the operation would be quiet and dust free. Working with hand tools soon became my new religion! The surfaces of furniture pieces would be hand planed and scraped instead of sanded. While studying at Rosewood Studio, it was instilled in the students to not use sandpaper. We were discouraged from having sandpaper at our benches. When applying a finish, some sanding was allowed between coats. Another rule, all wood surfaces were to be only hand planed and scraped. This was also the case at College of the Redwoods, where James Krenov taught. It was believed that planed and scraped wood surfaces exhibited greater depth and clarity whereas sanded surfaces were dull. I firmly believed in this approach after seeing and experiencing it myself.

Several hand tools used in the creation of handmade dovetail joinery.

Hand tool cabinet with clear lexan door panel to store chisels, marking tools, scrapers and layout tools By 2007, I continued to equip my workshop with more wall-mounted cabinets as well as a dedicated hand plane till. The wall mounted hand plane till design on the next page was modeled after existing designs. The hand planes would sit in compartments and the plane rack was itself tilted so I could quickly grab the hand plane necessary for a task. The angle of the hand plane till was attained through a little trial and error. One of the criteria was

to maintain a low profile for the hand plane till, but also to keep the hand planes secure.

Dedicated hand plane till for quick access of hand planes Over the course of 2007, a new piece of machinery was also acquired. I was informed of the availability of a vintage wide bed jointer. The vintage jointer, a Wadkin Bursgreen, had a five-foot-long, 9.25-inch-wide bed. It had been used in different workshops including Rosewood Studio. Most recently, it was no longer used, and arrangements were made to purchase it. The jointer was solidly built and approximately fifty years old at the time. Thick sheet

metal and solid cast components gave it heft. These rugged old machines were straightforward in construction and easy to repair or tune when the need arose. There is a lot to be said for simplicity in a machine. The vintage wide bed jointer had been upgraded to modern electrics with the addition of a new single-phase 3HP motor and modern starter switch. It was necessary to disassemble the jointer into manageable parts to bring back to my workshop.

Antique jointer which was acquired and restored in late 2007 The process of disassembling and re-assembling gave me the opportunity to adjust it, clean it, and lubricate internal components. I was ecstatic about the purchase since my only other jointer was a six-inch wide model. This new jointer would allow me to prepare the surfaces of much wider boards. In the past, wide boards would need to be ripped into narrower boards to fit the smaller jointer. In mid-2008, I designed and built another of the standalone cabinets. This cabinet had a much cleaner design and featured fully veneered front doors. I

wanted to feature unique grain graphics on the doors. Assembling doors using frame and panel construction considerably reduced the size of the graphics of the panel. Instead, fully veneered doors would allow more door area to display exciting wood figure. The fully veneered method of door construction also provided me an exciting challenge. The sides and back were of conventional solid wood construction. The back was assembled using frame and panel construction to stay true to the James Krenov philosophy of creating cabinets. He believed that the back of a piece of furniture should be as well made and beautiful as the front. Typically, in modern furniture, the back of furniture is inexpensively put together since it is always assumed the furniture will be placed against a wall. With the new approach, a frame and panel back would instead be seen when the front doors are opened, adding beauty to the interior of a cabinet. Although this step involved considerably more work, the results added to the aesthetic of the piece and were well worth it. I designed and built the upper cabinet and then assembled the stand for the cabinet. Creating the cabinet and stand or base as separate units allowed me to make the stand more accurate in dimensions. The stand would then perfectly conform to the base of the cabinet. The upper cabinet and stand were also designed to be separated for ease of transport and handling. This second cabinet would feature fewer drawers in the interior than the earlier cabinet. Instead, I wanted to create more space in which to display valuable art objects such as vases and bowls. The added interior height would allow three lower drawers, arranged in an asymmetric layout. Another feature of this cabinet would be the plain grain uniformity of the wood surfaces. Following some research, a very light color of wood was decided upon and European Beech was used to accomplish this. European Beech does not have a pronounced grain pattern, instead it appears very monotonous. This was the desired effect for the cabinet. The only dramatic part of the cabinet was to be the exciting, matching graphics integral to the front doors. A large publisher, Lark Books, had a call for entry for a book on cabinets. I submitted this cabinet, Twin Plumes, and thought nothing further. A few weeks later notification was received from the publisher that my entry had been accepted and it would be part of the upcoming book. It was also exciting to find out that the Twin Plumes cabinet would be featured in the forward of the upcoming 500 Cabinets book. The enthusiasm of having my work featured

in a book was something I was still coming to terms with.

Twin Plumes, a European Beech cabinet with fully veneered door panels featuring unusual door graphics (2008). The Twin Plumes cabinet featured in the forward of the 500 Cabinets book as well as being one of 500 cabinets detailed in the book.

The Twin Plumes cabinet featured in the forward of the 500 Cabinets book as well as being one of 500 cabinets detailed in the book. A second course in 2007, with Garrett Hack as instructor, involved the design and build of a wall-mounted cabinet. The cabinet would be constructed of clear pine with a lapped cedar back and a raised cherry door panel. There was to be a single door on this cabinet. All the components of the small cabinet were created and shaped using hand tools. Each student had some artistic license to add additional elements to the design. This course provided me the training to create unique wall cabinets.

Decorative wall cabinet created during Garrett Hack course (2007) Some unique bench jigs were also developed early in 2008. These jigs would plug into the round dog holes of a bench. They could be either mounted directly to a bench or attached to a planing board. The bench jigs were versatile and helped considerably when performing hand plane operations on a workbench. The bench jigs were a follow-on to an original system of bench jigs developed a few years earlier. In this period, I also designed and made new bench hooks and new shooting boards with attachments. These bench jigs and shooting boards were integral to the use of hand tools in my work. It became critical to firmly attach boards to the surface of a workbench to

successfully form and shape them.

A system of versatile bench jigs developed in my workshop (2008) As a subscriber to Fine Woodworking Magazine (FWW) in this period, I had an opportunity to write a submission for a magazine article. It was thought that perhaps an article on my collection of bench jigs would be a good idea. A few days later a proposal for an article was written and submitted and then the wait began to hear back from FWW magazine. Their editorial staff reviews all submissions for magazine articles and then selects the ones that are both novel and best suited for publication. A few weeks later, I was informed of the acceptance of my article. A date was scheduled for an editor from FWW to travel to my workshop and photograph the jigs. It was required to photograph the detailed process of building the jigs. As well, it was expected that several of these bench jigs be built while the FWW editor was present at my workshop. Needless to say, the day of shooting was intense, fast-paced and with next to no margin for error.

The photography was performed and a few months later a new FWW article called 4 Bench Jigs for Handplanes was published in two versions of the magazine. I have since had other articles about my work published in other magazines.

The author featured in a Fine Woodworking Magazine article on various bench jigs. Courtesy Fine Woodworking Issue No. 202

Using a bench jig and hand planes to create and shape small parts I continued to seek other methods of marketing my furniture work. Over the years and through various magazine articles, good exposure has been gained. Exposure is critical to being successful as a furniture maker. Local advertising of my business also began where business cards were handed out at every opportunity. A local woodworking group held a furniture exhibition and competition in the fall of 2008. At Wood Objects 2008, entrants could each exhibit a juried piece of furniture or wood object. A jury panel of distinguished woodworkers selected the entries. The competition awarded multiple winners in different categories. This was an excellent form of exposure for me. I entered a standalone cabinet in the first year and entered a contemporary hall table in the second year. Similar competitions were also held in other regions where my entry could be shipped to and shown for the duration of the exhibition. Opportunities were sought where high-end crafts and furniture could be exhibited, all in the name of exposure.

Another success story was to be published in three different books on furniture designs and woodworking. These included 500 Cabinets, Studio Furniture: Today’s Leading Woodworkers and Rooted: Creating a Sense of Place: Contemporary Studio Furniture.

“Standing Tall” standalone cabinet entry at Wood Objects 2008 My entry was submitted as part of a call for entry and was successfully accepted in each of these books. The exposure gained from this type of press can be invaluable to a furniture maker. An opportunity also arose to exhibit some of my furniture at an annual exhibition of furniture of the Rosewood

Studio current students and alumni.

The “Standing Tall” standalone cabinet entry was one of two entries

selected for Studio Furniture: Today’s Leading Woodworkers The positive side effects of working exclusively with hand tools include the efficient methods of work a person develops over time. Along with the methods of work, new jigs and tools are developed to work more accurately and efficiently. In light of this, I developed a bench tool that improved on the method used to hold work on my bench. The problem being addressed was how to securely hold work while hand planing it. Specifically, how to hold a piece of wood flat against a workbench surface when there is no tail vise in the bench. I tackled this dilemma and developed an adjustable surface vise with an extremely low profile. The vise also needed to have a durable coarse and fine adjustment mechanism. Through trial and error and some ingenuity, a few issues were worked out. The surface vise design was refined and the production version is now manufactured exclusively in metal. The surface vise is manufactured and marketed through a large Canadian tool manufacturer Veritas Tools. We share the patent for its design.

One of the prototypes of the surface mount tail vise (2008) My current workshop is constructed adjacent to the main home as part of the same building structure. This was done to effectively tap in to the electricity, water, heating and cooling of the main home. The workshop or studio as I prefer to call it, is spacious and consists of an upper and a lower level. I am extremely pleased with the final size decided on for the workshop area. The upper workshop area or hand tool area is a large size and the lower level is a similar size. A set of stairs joins the two levels. The window sizes selected for the workshop are large and bring considerable ambient light into the workshop area on both levels. The exterior of the woodworking studio consists of a combination of brick and siding with brick on the main level of the two-storey home as well as the adjoining workshop walls. The workshop itself extends out from the home a few feet along the back wall to accommodate its large area. I decided on a more practical location for outlets in the workshop area, they would be at a four-foot height. This is to accommodate benches against the wall. Arrangements were also made to have (4) 220V circuits installed. These heavy-duty circuits power a new table saw, industrial jointer and dust collectors. I have since added a few more 220v circuits to the workshop to accommodate other machinery. Motors run more efficiently on 220V while drawing less amperage. The motors also tend to run cooler so motor longevity is a benefit. Hardwood floors are installed on the main hand tool level of the workshop. Hardwood floors are friendlier to joints in the body when standing for long periods of time. There are landings from the workshop doors to the garage area. Noise isolation of the workshop area was also one of the criteria of the house build. With some expert advice, I decided to have a double wall installed between the home and workshop. This double wall would have noise deadening insulation installed as well as acoustic channels and two layers of drywall. Considerable thought was also placed into keeping dust from the workshop areas away from the home. Since the workshop utilized heating and cooling ducting from the home, air returns would be a problem. Air returns would deliver dust-laden air from the workshop back to the furnace. This was not acceptable. Instead, a passive air return system was designed. Forced air ducting would be channeled to the workshop, but air would be returned to the

furnace instead through a large, filtered slot in the adjoining wall to the home.

The positive pressure of forced air in the workshop areas would eventually pass through this filter system and maintain a pressure balance or equilibrium between the shop and home. As well, the furnace would draw air through this filter area to accelerate the balancing effect. I am glad to report the air return system has worked exceptionally well since. The home was completed in late September 2000 and we moved into the home in that timeframe. I could move some of my tools into the workshop but needed assistance with the machinery. A layout had long been planned for the machines and so every tool and machine had its place. A comprehensive dust collection system was also installed. The dust collection system consisted of pipes and hoses, all 4 inches in diameter. As well, the system was divided between (2) large capacity dust collectors. One dust collector would handle a few machines, whereas the second dust collector the other machines. This reduced the load on each of the dust collectors. There is a recommended limit to the length of piping for each collector and having two systems resolved this issue. A series of blast gates was also installed. Each blast gate attached to a single machine. Dust collection was and is a priority in my workshop and every effort is made to capture dust and wood chips at the source. Airborne dust is a common problem in woodworking environments. To address this, there are now a total of three air cleaners which can be individually or collectively run. Air cleaners are effective at scrubbing the air of small wood particulates otherwise known as airborne dust. Although I work with hand tools at every opportunity, my bandsaw and table saw are in the hand tool level of my wood studio. These machines, by their very nature, generate dust. Although most fine dust is captured at the source, the three air cleaners are effective at quickly removing this from the environment.

Two air cleaners located in the hand tool area of the wood studio. The upper unit is commercial whereas the lower unit is shop-made. Both air cleaners can be controlled remotely. The third air cleaner is a downdraft table which also serves as an outfeed table for my table saw. I prefer to call this air cleaner a whole shop air filter since it is powerful and moves a large volume of air every minute it is running. It is usually run it for a period of time after I have used the bandsaw or table saw to effectively scrub the air. The downdraft table or whole shop air filter is shop-made with a used furnace blower motor at its heart. Dust mitigation is emphasized in my wood studio today. My previous small woodshop had little in the way of dust collection and it was becoming a health risk to work in that environment. I have learned from the experience and gone to the other extreme with my current wood studio.

Current view of wood studio showing drill press, table saw, one of my workbenches and two hand plane cabinets. Large windows were also factored in to the wood studio design. Ambient light is a great source of natural light. Large windows allow me to minimize the use of overhead lighting during the day. Natural light is also excellent for viewing the quality of furniture surfaces or of wood that is being hand planed. Since the design of the wood studio was customized to my needs, a high ceiling was also part of the design criteria. The high ceiling allows me to swing long boards around without the risk of hitting light fixtures. Multiple switched light fixtures were also included in the design to ensure that adequate light is available when it is dark outside or on very cloudy days.

View of wood studio showing band saw, table saw, workbench, downdraft table or whole shop air filter and dust collection system. Large windows to maximize ambient light can be seen. Additional machinery resides in the lower level of the wood studio. This machinery includes a commercial 3HP cabinet saw and 3HP industrial thickness planer which are also routed to dust collectors. The upper or hand tool area of the wood studio has a few machines installed along the periphery of the studio. Since the focus is on hand tool work, workbenches are emphasized. Today, there are a total of four workbenches available in this area. The larger workbenches are used most of the time. Early on, I worked in the area for a while to better determine optimum bench placement and location of wall cabinets. The placement of the large workbenches is away from walls. This allows me to access workpieces from all sides of the workbench. To create an ideal woodworking space, every effort was placed in the optimal orientation of workbenches and stationary machines on both levels of the wood studio.

Large capacity 15in. 3HP thickness planer with dust collection in lower level of workshop. The smaller machines include a 6-inch jointer, 13-inch thickness planer, drill press and band saw installed along the perimeter of the hand tool area. This layout makes the most practical sense. The large cabinet saw is placed directly over a steel I-beam in the center of the upper level. This placement is successful at transferring weight away from the upper floor joists.

Custom 3HP table saw with dust collection, extension, outfeed table Wall-mounted cabinets are placed along the walls of the upper level or hand tool area. The wall cabinets are used to store hand tools, measuring and layout tools. I decided on wall cabinets with doors to keep dust and moisture from infiltrating the cabinet interiors. I began with a single wall cabinet and now have a total of six wall cabinets. Each cabinet stores a selection of different tools. There is also an emphasis on minimal obstructions and clutter in the wood studio. I find that my productivity increases when there is more open space to work in. It also becomes easier to locate tools when there is considerable free space in the wood studio. Cleaning the wood studio during and after projects is greatly simplified with minimal furniture and objects in and around the hand tool area.

Hand plane cabinet to store hand planes, keep dust and moisture out. The hand plane cabinets, one of which is shown above, are ideal for storing hand planes in a dust free environment. The hand planes are mounted on their side to maximize the space within the cabinet. Each of the compartments is customized for a size of hand plane along with some overlap. I normally keep the doors open when I am working at a workbench directly ahead of the cabinet. The doors are closed at all other times. I have two of these wallmounted hand plane cabinets directly over and behind one of the large workbenches. The cabinet itself is a low-profile design with just enough depth to accommodate the largest of the hand planes.

Wall cabinet (1 of 2) where layout and measuring tools are kept The wall-mounted cabinets are strategically placed to not interfere with any operations. Since they are wall-mounted, they make maximum use of wall space which would otherwise not be used. The wall cabinets above were constructed from leftover wood from other projects. The case is constructed from Baltic Birch plywood, whereas the door frames are made of cherry with thin ply door panel inserts. Although my present wood studio is relatively large with considerable space to work in, the emphasis remains on making the most efficient use of the space. My experience with a previous workshop is that clutter is to be avoided. Keeping only machines and tools used daily in view is preferred, rather than having the wood studio appear as a tool storage area. Using this philosophy, the extra space gained makes the wood studio a more conducive environment to work in. The wood studio becomes inviting. Cleanup after a day’s work is also much simpler with minimal clutter in the workshop or

wood studio.

Original band saw with both an upgraded fence and dust collection. The bandsaw used in my work is the original saw purchased in 1994. It has served me well over the years. The bandsaw has been upgraded since then to be able to effectively resaw wide boards. The resaw capacity of the original saw was limited to 6 inches. This was not sufficient for wider boards. Wide boards, when resawn, offer wider, seamless veneers. The effective resaw capability has been doubled through the installation of a riser kit. The riser kit raises the frame. Along with the addition of the riser kit, dust collection has dramatically been improved through two dust ports. A limitation of this model of bandsaw is the shortcoming of dust collection. The only dust port available was small and located at the front of the bandsaw just beneath the table. This single dust port was found to be insufficient for operations which generated copious amounts of saw dust, such as resawing. The improved dust collection includes a dust port at the apex of the lower wheel. This point is where most saw dust is collected and the extra dust port works exceptionally well at vacuuming this dust away from the lower wheel area. The dust chute beneath the table was also upgraded to a large capacity version and large diameter dust hoses are used throughout. The fence system was another obstacle to effective bandsaw cuts. The current fence is accurate, slides well and has a micro-adjust feature to dial in the fence at fractions of an inch. A taller secondary fence can also now be installed. The tall fence aids considerably when resawing boards as most boards are at least 6 inches in width. The fence also locks in with minimal distortion through use of a T- connection at the front rail. The blade I use most often is 1/2 in. wide, which is more than sufficient for resawing. The teeth spacing is low, so the blade can extract a greater volume of wood dust while resawing. The 1/2 in. wide blade also offers strong beam strength as its width helps to make it more rigid and less likely to deflect when resawing. The motor powering the bandsaw has also been upgraded. The original ½ HP motor was wholly inadequate for resawing. Although resawing was possible, the feed speed had to be dramatically slowed down. The current 1 HP TEFC motor is very adequate for resawing. Overall, the performance of my original bandsaw has vastly improved since 1994 with these upgrades. During the 2003 period, I decided to read up on veneering. Veneering would

allow me to obtain greater yield from highly figured boards. Veneer slices could be applied to a dimensionally stable substrate such as Baltic Birch. The nominal thickness of the veneered panels would be slightly thicker than the solid panels currently being used. I researched the veneering process and read two books on the subject. Throughout my woodworking education, I had not yet been introduced to veneering, as it was considered an advanced subject in woodworking. A secondary reason for veneering a panel would be to achieve a seamless panel surface. Commercial veneer sheets were available and could be applied to dimensionally stable panels. My own veneers could instead be sawn using a band saw. I preferred sawing my own thicker veneers, although purchasing of commercial veneers would provide expediency along with significantly more variety. Experiments began on sawing veneers and creating large sheets using narrow veneer slices sawn directly off the band saw. The sheets were then glued to a substrate. I soon realized that veneer sheets need to be uniformly clamped to a substrate. Thick plywood substrates along with multiple clamps were used as cauls to press the veneer to the substrate. This became more impractical as the area of veneering increased. Since I was only veneering small, fixed-size panels at the time, a mechanical veneer press was designed and built. The mechanical veneer press design has been in existence for decades and the plan I followed originated from a book on veneering. The veneer press consisted of many threaded rod and nut assemblies along with a series of curved cauls. The curved cauls apply even pressure to two platens, one above and one below the panel being veneered. This system would apply uniform pressure to the veneer sheet on the panel. The underside of each panel was also veneered to create veneer equilibrium, so the panel would not cup or warp. Many veneered panels were successfully created using this process. It was found, however, that panels would be limited in size using this simple mechanical setup. With this early success at veneering, I wanted to pursue veneering as a larger part of my furniture making. The possibilities were endless with veneered panels. Highly figured woods could be sourced and several veneer slices sawn from each board. The application of highly figured woods in my work was successful and well received by my clients in this period. After some time, the mechanical veneer press previously built was becoming a chore to

use. The torque necessary on each of the many threaded rods was very high and the whole process was slow and tedious. I thought to myself that there had to be a better way.

Mechanical veneer press using threaded rods and cauls (2003) After some research, it was found that vacuum veneer systems were available that use atmospheric pressure to create uniform pressure. The vacuum system draws air out of a well-sealed poly bag. It was not necessary to evacuate much air from the poly bag, as atmospheric pressure would soon compensate in providing pressure. The pressure created within the vacuum bag would be very powerful and uniform across the panel area. Using this method, much larger veneered panels could be created. The poly bags could also shape themselves to curved surfaces. The vacuum system appealed to me although it was expensive.

After some deliberation, I invested in a commercial vacuum veneering system from VacuPress Corp. The system had excellent reviews and could handle veneered panels up to four feet wide and six feet long. There were components that were not supplied with the system and these would need to be fabricated. For the better part of 2003, I invested time in setting up the veneering system and experimenting with it. A dedicated platform for the large poly bag was built which soon evolved into a large bench. This platform bench was very similar in construction to a large workbench built the year before. The vacuum press system also required a platen with a series of channels crossing the surface. This channel system leads to an air hose used to evacuate air from the poly bag; this platen would need to be created. Successful experiments were made on small panels. Multiple veneered panels could also be pressed at once and the panels would remain in the poly bag overnight under vacuum. The vacuum was self-regulating through a vacuum pump unit. I was considerably encouraged with this new method of veneering and began experimenting with large panels. The larger panels could be used in the door panels for standalone or wall-mounted cabinets. As well, I could veneer the sides, top and bottom of cabinets. Veneering created new possibilities in how I designed and built my display cabinets. More highly-figured woods could now be effectively used. I was no longer limited to panels of conventional hardwood. The aesthetic of the display cabinets would dramatically increase through use of veneering. In early 2004, I had the opportunity to attend a Craftsmanship No.4 class at Rosewood Studio. Although I had been working with both the mechanical veneer press and the newly acquired vacuum press, I thought it best to spend a few days immersing myself in the art of veneering. This veneering class tied all the loose ends for me. Having already worked with veneering helped considerably, I could instead focus on sticking points in my knowledge. Until this time, I had only been working with flat panels. The course introduced me to curved panel veneering techniques and processes using a vacuum press. As an example, curved panels could be used as structural elements of a table, as in a table apron. Curved panels could be incorporated as curved door fronts. The possibilities were endless. Curved work is often considered to be advanced woodworking. Combining both flat and curved panels into a furniture design

adds to the aesthetic of the piece. After a while, I felt completely at ease with the veneering process using this new vacuum press. I also documented and photographed the veneering process using both my earlier mechanical press and the new vacuum press. A new module on veneering was soon included in the Woodworking Course CD. To develop this new module, a few flat and curved panels would need to be veneered with the veneering sequences photographed. This became an educational process since the intricate details of veneering would need to be grasped. Soon after completing the course addition, I designed and built an enclosed display cabinet using veneered panels. Large veneered panels would be a component of the frame and panel doors. For a significant period of time, I have been following James Krenov philosophy and style of woodworking. His signature piece of furniture was the standalone cabinet, typically configured as a display cabinet. Although James Krenov did not embrace the use of vacuum veneering for his curved work, he opened my eyes to the dramatic aesthetic difference that the addition of curved furniture elements could make. James Krenov instead favored the creation of curved panels through use of a technique called coopering. This is where individual members are glued together at a very slight angle to form a curved substrate. The substrate is then shaped to a fair curve using a series of hand tools, primarily hand planes and scrapers. Coopering is a much slower process than using a vacuum veneer press, but the outcome is similar. The expertise in coopering is gained in creating a fair curve along the width and length of the coopered panel. Needless to say, Krenov embraced the use of curved panels in his work.

Vacuum press set up to press flat veneered panels overnight. The James Krenov book, The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking, also documents the building of one of his cabinets. The knowledge gained from this book was used as a basis for one of my own cabinets. Reading this book led to the discovery of other books in the James Krenov series. Krenov instills a unique perspective to the reader, that of peaceful, serene woodworking. Until this time, the only woodworking books available were purely practical in nature, bringing forward woodworking techniques and best practices. The Krenov book instead spoke of the actual wood with emphasis on wood graphics and how to select the best pieces for a furniture piece. As well, Krenov put forward his unique methodology in creating his signature cabinet pieces. Krenov’s writing has a way of making woodworking uncomplicated and enjoyable. The appeal of his books has converted many woodworkers to using hand tools instead of power tools through the decades. After some planning and design, I began to build a first cabinet on stand. The build carried over early into the year 2004. The cabinet was completed a few weeks prior to attending the

Craftsmanship No.4 course at Rosewood Studio. As a result, the veneering process was fresh in my mind. Large veneered curly maple panels contrasted well with the dark cherry frame and cabinet stand. My confidence in creating cabinets on stand increased with this build. I was at ease with creating veneered panels of figured wood.

A first piece of furniture, a large standalone display cabinet, 2004. First use of figured veneers in both the door panels and side panels. With completion of this large cabinet on stand, I embraced the Krenov philosophy and yearned to learn more about this man, his philosophy and methodologies.

A second cabinet on stand embracing Krenov’s teachings (2006) Krenov had a rather large following of woodworkers who began to shun the expeditious and commercial emphasis of building furniture. This fast, production-minded emphasis originated with the advent of furniture factories and inadvertently filtered down to the small furniture maker. Krenov’s message was to slow down and instead focus on wood selection in creating furniture. Having wood components in harmony created a far better aesthetic than simply joining diverse pieces of wood together. In industry, pieces originating from different logs had opaque stain applied to mask the differences.

James Krenov signature book on his hand tool and maker philosophy. This book has greatly influenced my new style of work, woodworking

philosophy and woodworking methodologies. Creating furniture pieces with a focus on the wood itself contrasted with my earlier woodworking education. It made much more sense to create furniture and design it around the wood itself, rather than simply using arbitrary pieces of wood as a medium. An awareness of wood and its innate characteristics was a marked shift from simply using wood as a ubiquitous resource. As I continued to immerse myself into Krenov’s books and teachings, my motivation of creating fine furniture increased. A migration to using hand tools in much of my furniture builds was slowly occurring. Krenov has over the years, influenced many furniture makers to change their ways and learn to appreciate wood. Krenov has instilled in new furniture makers the benefit and advantage of working with the characteristics and inherent beauty of wood, as well as developing a focus on detail work. The “slow is better” approach is emphasized throughout his writing. Through this marked change in my woodworking philosophy, the motivation to create began to increase with further exposure to the finer techniques of using hand tools. I had been woodworking for ten years prior to this enlightenment and the newfound direction was a welcome breath of fresh air. The change in direction would necessitate the learning of several new skills as well as the un-learning of previous processes. I viewed this as a challenge and welcomed the upcoming learning curve and all it entailed. As a curious individual, I enjoy continued education, more specifically if it involves a passion of mine. It was interesting how simply reading a book evolved into a wholesale shift in direction, philosophy and focus. I slowly began to ramp up my collection of hand tools. Hand tools were not a large part of my tool arsenal until this time. There were so many different hand tools available with each one addressing a unique process. Some hand tools were more versatile while others were specialized. The initial focus was on acquiring the more versatile hand tools. Specialized hand tools would come later as my hand tool skills developed. I also wanted to ensure that each tool purchased would be put to use and not simply decorate a tool cabinet.

THE MAQUETTE ☐☐ “Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way” Edward de Bono EARLY ON IN MY furniture making career I came to a new awareness. My original focus on creating display cabinets on a speculative basis would involve risk. The time and materials invested in each of these cabinets was considerable and creating these without a guaranteed sale was not in my best interest. My woodworking business would need to diversify into other types of furniture along with an increased reliance on commissioned work. The furniture style I decided to focus on would be a series of contemporary styled tables. The tables would need to be based on unique and innovative designs that had not been done before. Since I was a neophyte in the furniture making world, it was necessary that the table designs draw attention to both my furniture design skills and business. A decision was made to incorporate metal into the table designs. The bright metal would contrast well with the natural tones of wood. It would be a metal meets wood aesthetic. The challenge of using metal in the design also intrigued me. A few weeks later, a few designs were drawn on paper as well as being rendered in CAD or Computer Aided Design. The next logical step would have been to create full size drawings and make components for each of the table designs. The problem with this approach, however, was the appeal and engineering of the tables. Although the table could be rendered on a computer screen in a 3-D form, having a real-life example would be the ultimate test of its aesthetic appeal. The real-life version would also help me to determine any structural flaws and weak points in the design and to test the table for stability. With so many table designs rendered, the question then became which table to build. With time and materials invested, determining later that the design was lacking in a vital criterion would be an inefficient and expensive process.

Newly designed demi-lune table incorporating wood and metal, 2009. I then recalled one of the courses pursued while at the fine furniture making school where the subject was scale models. A renowned contemporary furniture designer, Michael Fortune, was instructing the course. A complete segment of the course was devoted to the creation of scale models of furniture. The idea was to create a small, scale model of a furniture design to determine the feasibility and visual appeal of its design. A small-scale model would provide vital characteristics such as stability, aesthetic appeal and structural strength. The time and materials expended in creating scale models would be minimal in comparison to creating a fullscale version of the furniture design. Bolder, more avant-garde designs could be created using this process.

“Half Moon”, 2009. Scale model of contemporary table, figured wood, metal and tempered glass top. The earliest scale furniture models were fairly quick to make in comparison to full-scale furniture pieces. I could photograph the scale model and ask a select group of people for their critique and opinion. Certain components could also be interchanged to determine the appeal in characteristics of other mediums. In the table above, I could easily substitute the glass top with a solid wood top. The versatility of this design process quickly appealed to me. It was no longer necessary to construct large furniture pieces to determine their viability. The limited studio space available to me would otherwise be overwhelmed by large furniture pieces.

“Uplifting”, 2009. Scale model of contemporary table, wood, metal. The small-scale furniture models were called maquettes and I have been following this design process ever since. Maquettes were created for a few of the table designs to determine their appeal. Since this process allowed me to quickly create a scale model with minimal use of materials, I decided to invest more time into the quality of each maquette. The maquettes or scale models were quarter scale versions of full-size furniture. The process was both rapid and efficient since the time to produce a design was dramatically reduced. Within weeks, I soon began to amass a fair number of these quirky, scaled down furniture pieces. Experiments with mediums unfamiliar to me was also possible when creating these maquettes. With the cost of materials being minimal in a maquette, exploring new mediums held great appeal to me. My metalworking skills improved and I had the opportunity to develop new techniques of joining different mediums such as metal to wood or metal to glass.

“Nexus”, 2009. Scale model of coffee table using wood, glass, metal. To determine the aesthetic appeal of the table designs, the maquettes were shown to family and friends. In a few cases, a full-scale version of the scaled furniture was completed. Early in 2009, the organizer of a prestigious art show to be held in Toronto a few months later, contacted me. Although it was primarily a visual art show, it was open to other forms of art. After seeing sample images of my work, the organizer mentioned that my contemporary furniture designs would be a good fit for the show. Upon registering, I was to be the sole furniture maker displaying work at the show. A few of the table designs previously mentioned were created for this show. Along with two small display cabinets and a few side and console tables, I exhibited at a booth at art09 in Toronto, Ontario. My furniture designs were innovative, finely crafted and drew many people to my booth. Most visitors to the art show had expected to view art and were pleasantly surprised to stumble on to my booth.

First art show entered, June 2009, Metro Toronto Convention Center

“Trinity 1”, 2009. First of a series of full-size contemporary side tables incorporating highly figured wood. Flame birch top, metal, cherry, holly. Bold, avant-garde design that pushed boundaries. The Trinity 1 side table, shown above, was designed and created specifically for the art09 show. Combining different mediums along with the use of highly figured wood and a bold design, would draw the attention of art patrons. Since the show was first and foremost an art show, my intention was to exhibit my latest and most eye-catching contemporary designs. As is the case with large, prestigious art exhibitions, it is wise for an artist to bring their best and latest work, that which defines their current style. In conversation with the show organizer, it was pointed out that I should show newer contemporary furniture designs to send a strong message to patrons that furniture need not be drab. Furniture designs can be exciting with the

inclusion of elements of art.

Contemporary styled hall table incorporating metal and wood, 2009 A few contacts were established through this show and two commissions were received. A local, decorative art gallery also agreed to place two of my table designs in their showroom. The exposure gained was critical in this early stage of my furniture making business. The experience of applying, registering and successfully setting up a booth at an art show would prove valuable later in my art career. The mediums used to create my scale maquettes were wood and metal. Glass was later introduced to the designs. The glass would serve as a table top specifically in coffee table designs. To accomplish this, it was necessary to perform research into attaching glass to metal. The glass itself was also custom, tempered glass cut to specific sizes. Tempered glass was almost mandatory since it would not shatter as easily as conventional plate glass. The advantage of creating maquettes shone when I introduced glass tabletops to my designs. It was very expensive to have tempered glass tabletops created in large, full-scale sizes. If the design was not appealing, I would be left with

a large slab of glass which could probably not be used elsewhere. The scaled down furniture pieces were fascinating to look at and received considerable attention wherever they were displayed. It was not immediately obvious to people that these were scale models of full-size furniture. Around this time, I was informed of an upcoming touring exhibition of furniture and fine craft. The exhibition Masterworks East was the first of its kind where a juried selection of pieces would be displayed at different art or craft venues throughout Eastern Ontario. The exhibition would occur over a period of a few months. Information on the exhibition was sent to me through a newsletter of a provincial craft organization I was a member of. With all these scale maquettes of furniture in my possession, one of the more fascinating pieces was submitted as a fine craft entry.

Recall the extra effort placed in creating several of these scale models of furniture to both raise the quality and bring out fine details. As a fine craft entry, a scale model or maquette of an appealing side table design was chosen. The table top was ovoid or egg-shaped with three corners. The top was created from highly figured wood. Each corner had a metal component attached to a tapered two-toned leg. This was a design that eventually evolved into a full-size table. The maquette of a table was aesthetically pleasing and at the same time unique. It garnered a lot of attention when displayed. After photographing the scale table, my entry was submitted along with a bio and a small entry fee. I then continued to devote myself to furniture making. The jurying process occurred over a few weeks, enough time for me to completely forget about the submission.

Scale model of Trinity Side Table with ovoid shaped table top, 2009. It was a few weeks later that I heard back from the craft organization. My entry had been selected in the fine craft sculpture category. Upon reading the letter, I was ecstatic. This was the very first time I had entered an exhibition with something other than furniture. In previous exhibitions I participated in, the entry was typically a table or display cabinet. Entering a maquette of furniture in the fine craft category never crossed my mind had it not been for this specific call for entry. The piece was delivered to the first of the many venues in the touring exhibition and displayed for a period of two weeks at each of the venues. The organization also asked if I was willing to give a talk at the opening of the exhibition. The talk would center on my wood craft, techniques, methods and my inspiration as a maker. The request was gladly accepted. This would also be my very first speaking engagement in the decorative craft and visual art world.

It would be an opportunity for me to talk about my furniture making journey and designs as well as the craft of working with wood. After the talk, my entry became part of the touring exhibition for the remainder of the summer of 2009. It was later revealed that the touring exhibition was a success and well received at the different venues in cities and towns of Eastern Ontario. Following this experience, I concluded that my small maquettes could be entered in the sculpture category of other craft exhibitions.

Masterworks East, 2009. Catalog entry for the “Trinity” sculpture A few months later, news was out that an International Juried Art Exhibition in upper New York State, the Frederic Remington Art Museum, put out a call for entry of fine art and craft. A sculpture with art deco styled elements was designed and entered in this exhibition. This unique sculpture was of mixed media incorporating metal and wood. An element of inlay was also included into the piece. My entry was accepted in the sculpture category and it was on exhibit for a few weeks in the fall of 2009. The principal juror for this exhibition approached me at the opening of the exhibition and suggested that I should join an Ottawa, Ontario based art organization with my sculptural work. The juror, Terry Sametz, was a longstanding member of this art

organization. He invited me to attend one of the monthly meetings and decide from there. I attended, was introduced to a few members as well as the executive, and decided to join the art group.

“Reverence”, 2009. Shown at Frederic Remington Art Museum. Featured in “Wood Art Today 2” by Schiffer Publishing The organization, OWAA, was a west end Ottawa art group that included many artist members. The organization also held rotating exhibitions of member’s artwork each month. This appealed to me as I could exhibit any new work created. Exhibiting my work on a regular basis would motivate me to create new and exciting sculptural work. A regular venue for my sculptural work would also increase awareness and exposure of my work. After joining, sculptures were created and submitted monthly. The sculptures were displayed in glass display cabinets along with the work of other sculptors in the organization. My membership in OWAA was over a period of three years. During this period, my sculptural work evolved from linear work to more organic work. The early sculptures were primarily maquettes or scale models of furniture, whereas later sculptures were purely non-objective and not based on

functional furniture designs. The opportunity to exhibit my work inspired me to become more creative with sculptural work. Stone was soon added as a medium. Combining alternate media with wood was appealing to me as well as providing a challenge. Attaching stone, glass and metal to wood is performed with special glues which involved research and experimentation. In some cases, the alternate medium was captured tightly in a pocket of the wood sculpture.

“Equilibrium”, 2009. Geometric sculpture in padauk, cherry and metal Featured in “Wood Art Today 2” by Schiffer Publishing

The sculptural pieces, Reverence and Equilibrium, were intended to distance myself from functional work. They are whimsical and challenged my

creativity in different ways than creating scale models of furniture. Contrasting woods combined with an alternative medium added to the visual appeal of the sculptures. As well, the alternative mediums introduced contemporary elements into the designs. I slowly began to be more at ease with creating non-objective sculptural objects. The departure from functional work was a breath of fresh air into my studio practice. Harmony in Diversity was the first sculpture entered in an exhibition that followed a theme. It is also the first of my sculptures to introduce curved elements.

“Harmony in Diversity”, 2010. Conceptual sculpture with curved elements, combining mahogany, maple and metal

Introduction of curved elements emboldened me to distance myself from strictly linear and geometrically shaped sculpture designs. This sculpture also

tapped into my creativity more so than previous sculptures. I was seeking to create a sculpture using a minimum of material to convey a vision. This was to be my first conceptual sculpture, where the concept or idea predominates. This highlights my progression from one form of sculpture to another form. I had now been enlightened to the power and aesthetic appeal of curved elements in sculptural work. Also, in this period, three of my sculptures were submitted to a call for entry for an upcoming book on wood art. This was one of my first book submissions and the process was daunting. It was necessary to shoot compelling photography to accurately convey the features of each of the sculptures. The book would be made available by a large publisher, Schiffer Publishing, and it was necessary to accurately fulfill the criteria for submission of photos. I sought advice from a professional photographer and after a few iterations was successful at capturing the detail in each of the sculptures. The time and research spent at perfecting the photography was to be a good investment. It was necessary for me to develop photography skills for all the upcoming work I would need to photograph. A few weeks after submitting, I heard back from the publisher of the book and was surprised to find out my submission had been accepted. I recall how much of a boost this gave to my confidence as I waited in anticipation of the release of the book. The book became available a few months later and the publisher kindly sent me two copies. This was the first time my sculptural work had been featured in a book, more specifically an art book. The importance of marketing cannot be stressed enough, especially for an emerging artist. An emerging artist has likely had very few opportunities to exhibit their work. The viewing public is often not aware of the emerging artist’s work. It is a vicious circle where marketing and exposure become key to the artist’s success, especially early on in their career.

The “Wood Art Today 2” book by Schiffer Publishing, 2011. Considering this, I recall mentioning at both my web site and through social media at the time of my work being published in books and magazines. Having my work published validated my wood art and my decision to become part of the art world. My confidence increased dramatically where any doubts about my radical career change quickly vanished. It is these early successes that are often a determining factor in the ascendancy of an artist’s career. The validation of having one’s work selected for a prominent publication is often all that is necessary for an artist to be at peace with their career and lifestyle decision. In any case, these are stepping stones in an artist’s rising career. Each publication and exhibition opportunity further recognizes an artist’s practice and work. After this success, other opportunities to have my work published were often sought. Unique wood art and professional photography were critical to acceptance of my work into publications and exhibitions.

The “Equilibrium”, “Reverence”, and “Trinity” sculptures featured in the book “Wood Art Today 2” by Schiffer Publishing The technical aspect of creating these small sculptural pieces also introduced a challenge to my studio practice. It was necessary to develop new techniques of joining wood to alternative media. Since very little wood was necessary to create these sculptures, I could instead focus on the sculpture rather than the complicated joinery of a furniture piece. Wood movement was no longer an issue with sculptural wood art. I had artistic license to move beyond my comfort zone and create any sculpture that pleased me. The freedom of not having boundaries is what drew me in to the art world. Non-objective art is more about the art object than its construction. When I began to show my new sculptures to an audience, the feedback received was intriguing. Often, people mentioned that the sculptures reminded them of one thing or another. This was occasionally in complete contrast to the original, intended vision.

Occasionally, their vision better described the sculpture. In most cases, however, the title of the sculpture accurately described the intended vision of the sculpture. This is the nature of art, it is subjective. As they say, “art is in the eye of the beholder”. People can interpret art differently where art is subjective in nature. Some artists refuse to title their work for this reason. I prefer to apply a title to a sculpture, since it best characterizes the vision I had in mind. The next series of wood sculptures introduced more curves into the designs. I began to further challenge myself by combining curved elements with linear components to form a sculpture. This began my radical departure from purely linear work. The slow journey of distancing myself from functional work to non-objective wood art began in this timeframe. I felt more at ease in creating objects based on pure visual appeal rather than serve a purpose or to be functional.

“Emerging Gem”, 2010. Sculpture with both curved and geometric elements. Combining cocobolo with curly maple. The two sculptures shown on these pages, Emerging Gem and Hidden Treasure were successful as the first of a cohesive series of sculptures. The juxtaposition of dark and light woods in this next series also accentuated the wide spectrum of wood species, colors and textures available to a sculptor. The subject of the series was to be gems and how wood, when formed to the shape of gems, accentuate the gems. Gems were chosen as the common theme for this series since the exhibition entered was thematic in nature. If these two sculptures are examined, it becomes obvious that components of each sculpture have been interchanged with the other. It was my wish to have this effect with these two sculptures. This cross-pollination of materials in the sculptures demonstrates how one can make efficient use of resources in creating art. I enjoy the environmental aspect of this as well as the juxtaposition of the elements to create two completely different sculptures.

“Hidden Treasure”, 2010. Sculpture with both curved and geometric elements. Combining cocobolo with curly maple. The two sculptures, although different, essentially followed a theme. The experience gained from developing multiple sculptures with a common theme would be invaluable to me later in my career as a wood artist. One of the greatest achievements of an artist is to participate in a solo exhibition. Solo exhibitions typically require a specific theme and a cohesive body of work to go along with this. I now began to feel at ease with this requirement.

“Genesis”, 2010. Purely organic sculpture combining wood and metal It is the unrestrained aspect of art that excites me. Materials are secondary to the artistic vision of an art piece. Materials are often a means to an end. Positive and negative spaces are critical to a sculptural piece. In the earlier

Harmony in Diversity conceptual sculpture, the negative spaces are as essential as the positive elements of the sculpture. The interplay of positive and negative spaces is what makes the sculpture subjective to viewers. My vision is not necessarily the vision of the viewer. The title I attach to an art piece merely directs the mind to the intended meaning behind the art piece. Soon, my sculptural work progressed from linear and curved to an organic aesthetic. The Genesis sculpture was the first of the purely organic sculptures, where non-objectivity is preeminent. The earlier, linear pieces can be viewed as part of a progression, from scale furniture maquettes to pure organic sculptures. Over a three-year period, my recognition as a local sculptor increased. With wood as the primary medium in both my furniture designs and sculptural work, the sculptures and furniture dovetailed well together. I also entered other exhibitions during this period, always seeking opportunities for exposure and to show my work. In conversations with other sculptors, they would often mention the importance of getting the work out there. Exposure would be essential to becoming a successful sculptor. Of course, the quality and appeal of the sculptures was equally as important. With this understanding, other venues and opportunities were sought to exhibit the sculptures. To introduce an element of color, a variety of woods were combined in several of the sculptures. The combination of contrasting woods would hopefully draw people to the work. In both Shrine and Elements, a secondary medium was introduced to the wood. The addition of stone added contrasting color and texture to the sculptures. Since wood, stone and metal are basic elements of the earth and can often be found together, merging them into a sculpture is consistent with nature. It became both enjoyable and challenging to devise configurations that incorporated at least two of these elements. Since the OWAA art group I belonged to was primarily a visual arts organization, most of the art was 2-D and hung on walls. The few sculptors in the group were confined to displaying their work in two well-lit glass display cases.

“Shrine”, 2011. Organic sculpture combining wood and stone. I often wondered what it would be like to have my own artwork hanging on walls. Observing and assisting other artists in exhibition setups or hangings, brought me closer to conventional paintings and glass-mounted photography as forms of art. The vast majority of OWAA group members were fine artists. Having virtually no background or education in the arts, I learned a considerable amount about art and the art world in conversations with these artists. A next series of sculptures had me exploring the addition of spalted woods in combination with conventional woods. The addition of color was also introduced to a next series of sculptures. These next sculptures incorporated pau amarello to feature the natural amber color of the wood. The contrasting color would work well in introducing a new aesthetic to the sculptures.

“Elements”, 2011. Organic sculpture combining wood, stone, metal. The pau amarello blanks also had varying densities thus absorption of finish was not uniform. This created a shimmer effect in the sculpture. With curved components combined with spalted wood components, I could base the compositions on a common theme. These particular pieces reflected my continued foray into conceptual art forms. By their very nature, the Enclosed and Enclosed 1 sculptures did not follow a clear vision or objective. The idea or concept was instead emphasized, hence the conceptual nature.

“Enclosed”, 2011. Organic sculpture combining figured wood and pau amarello. Introduction of naturally colored wood. The progression in my work could also be seen through these individual series of sculptures. The original hesitation of featuring maquettes or scale models as sculptures had vanished. My work evolved to where I was creating pure sculptural work. As part of the process I would develop a vision, idea or concept and then use wood and other mediums to translate this vision into a tangible object. This, in my opinion, is how an artist should approach his or her work. It is necessary to have confidence in working with both wood and alternative mediums to enjoy the freedom of focusing on the vision. This parallels with my experience gained from creating furniture over a period of years.

At one point, the mechanical and technical aspects of construction become secondary in nature to a maker or artist. The artist, instead moves forward in translating their vision through a material. Over this period, I also began to think more like an artist than as a maker. I had slowly distanced myself from the functional aspect to instead create purely non-objective, aesthetic forms. I also experienced torment over this period, the transition was not smooth and without hurdles. Going back and forth from furniture making to sculptural work necessitated a completely different mindset.

“Enclosed 1”, 2011. Organic sculpture combining figured wood and pau amarello. Introduction of naturally colored wood.

It became necessary for me to switch off my logical, analytical left brain and concentrate on my creative and subjective right brain. Occasionally, the mystique of being an artist intrigued me where I would consider painting as a new direction in my developing art career. During the hanging of an art exhibition at the OWAA gallery, the visual artwork was closely scrutinized to determine the style of art that appealed to me. Styles and genres of fine art could be examined at these hangings. It was comparable to attending a new art exhibition every month. The exposure to period art and contemporary art styles launched my education into the visual arts. Participating in the monthly group exhibition “hangings” allowed me to view new art and to discuss art with the curator along with other artists. Lacking a formal education in fine art, I would often ask many questions ranging from the subject of the painting, the composition of the painting, to the actual techniques of applying the paint medium to the canvas. In turn, many of the visual artists would inquire and ask about my sculptural work. This gave me the opportunity to establish a dialogue about my own work. A few of the members of the group were professional artists and I had the opportunity to ask about their lifestyle as artists. My curiosity was piqued on how I would adapt to such a lifestyle. How to cope with the irregular income? Would I enjoy marketing my own work? What pressures and challenges did artists typically experience over their careers? Would a career in the visual arts be rewarding? Was I up to this radical change in lifestyle?

FORM OVER FUNCTION ☐☐ “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous” Bill Moyers I BEGAN TO DELVE into art history. As an inherently curious individual, the evolution of art over the centuries intrigued me. A similar investigative process of different furniture styles that predominated over periods in history was performed a few years earlier. I was now increasingly aware of how styles evolved and how people’s tastes changed over time. A furniture style would be in vogue for several years until it became ubiquitous, then it would begin to be rejected or refuted. Human nature was that there was greater cachet in owning an object not owned by a large number of other people. Style changes formed a never-ending cycle. Once a style became popular, it became time to develop and establish a new style. Interestingly, I found that this cycle also applied to art. It was both the style of the art and subject matter that evolved over different periods in history. Earlier art depicted portraiture whereas later art would include images of landscapes and inanimate objects. However, this greatly simplifies the evolution of art. Painting evolved over centuries with the development and introduction of better quality media, brushes and canvases. The method by which paintings were composed also evolved with the advent of perspective and realism. Perspective made paintings appear more realistic in scale. Consequently, it was in 2009 that my education in art history began. I purchased several books on art history and began to delve into them. Art history is typically broken down into art periods which made the learning more palatable. I decided to begin my education at the pre-Renaissance period of art and continue through to Post-modernist art. Following this process would help me to understand the evolution of art and the many styles of art that had been spawned over several centuries. A few of the books selected to read were specific to art periods, whereas others were more general in their art coverage.

Researching art history was a large departure from my furniture making. Art is non-functional whereas furniture is functional. Considering my twenty years of woodworking experience in creating functional objects and furniture, it was somewhat challenging to understand the visual art movement. In my furniture making, the practical application of a piece of furniture was always a consideration in its design. The functionality of furniture usually took precedence, whereas the aesthetic of the piece was secondary. All this theory could be discarded when it came to visual art. The merits of art lay not in its practical application but instead in emotion, composition, subject matter, colors and depth. It was a confusing time for me, but also exciting. In this period, having mastered woodworking and furniture making, research into the visual arts would likely not negatively affect my wood craft. Perhaps an exploratory phase was necessary to determine if I should pursue alternative interests in life? A few years earlier I would not even contemplate this as my woodworking was progressing along in the knowledge acquisition phase. After all, I would only be reading and studying art history and not acting on it. In the worst case, I would become aware of art history and its ramifications. Some doubt did cross my mind that perhaps my time would be better spent at developing my skills in creating sculptural work. It was during a four-week vacation in the summer of 2009 that I applied myself to learning art history. During this period, I immersed myself into understanding art history and its evolution. Perhaps some of this new knowledge could be applied to my sculptural work? Opening my eyes to a comprehension of the visual art world and its history could only benefit my sculptural work. I began with general information on art history, with an overview of the periods of art. Acquiring a thorough understanding of art history would provide the necessary basis to grasp the subject of visual art. Through my technical background, it was fascinating to see how the process of painting evolved over the centuries. The largest and boldest advancements occurred in the Renaissance period when both perspective and color realism were introduced to painting. Art history slowly began to intrigue me. I also read how geometry and mathematics became a component of art. Successive art periods were fascinating to me; how art was originally created

on commission to the church and royalty. In later periods, art had become more mainstream where subject matter and compositions had changed considerably. Over time, more art was available in the public domain and a market for art had developed. This new market featured large-scale art exhibitions. The Renaissance period evolved into the Romanticism period into the Modern Art period. The most recent Contemporary art period would be most interesting to me as my sculptural work has its roots in contemporary design. Not having pursued formal art studies at anytime in my life, I felt it necessary to at least understand the different art periods. After all, I had earlier followed a similar education in furniture design. There were a series of successive furniture design periods that influenced the style and elements of furniture. Interestingly, contemporary furniture design was also embraced after researching these earlier furniture design periods. The educational phase of understanding the visual arts also influenced me in other ways. The local art association OWAA went to great lengths to acquire glass display cabinets to show sculptural work. Having to place my sculptures in glass display cabinets raised concern that displaying my art elsewhere would increasingly present a challenge. Most other arts organizations were set up for hanging art where their exhibitions emphasized this type of art. The calls for entry typically specified wall-mounted or hanging art in oils, acrylics, watercolor, mixed media and most recently photography. Entering sculptural work into a few, difficult to find exhibitions would become a challenge. Considering this, it was necessary to make the extra effort of seeking and applying to art exhibitions that accepted sculptural work.

“Cube”, 2010. Sculpture incorporating burl wood, blackwood, metal Due to the nature of sculptures and the need for freestanding plinths or stands to display them, it was necessary to protect sculptures from visitors. Glass cabinets would only suffice for smaller work. These obstacles and the minimal opportunities for exposure of my sculptural work caused me to seek other avenues of art creation. During this reflective period, many thoughts raced through my mind. A return to art school was an intriguing option; however, my furniture making would need to be abandoned to be able to successfully accomplish this. As a firm believer in acquiring a formal education in subjects, this was nonetheless considered as an option. This option included college or university level arts programs. A third option would be to pursue an evening program at a local art school that included a basic selection of courses in art history. It was the art history component that

was most appealing to me since I had already established myself as a wood sculptor.

“Genesis”, 2010. Sculpture on custom metal and wood stand. In my mind, painting was not even considered nor was it in my future. I thought it to be a considerable challenge to learn how to paint so late in my life. After all, I would be considered an emerging artist whereas my peers had

already amassed decades of art experience. While on vacation in the summer of 2009, my wife and I had a chance encounter with a well-known artist from Italy visiting Canada. A book had been forgotten on a restaurant table. Noticing this, I was determined to find the owner and return it to them. It was only then that I noticed the image on the cover of the art book closely resembled a patron in the restaurant. As the book was being handed over to him, we introduced ourselves and instantly connected. This artist was originally from Canada but had moved to the Tuscany region of Italy to pursue his dream of creating art and opening an art gallery. In a short time, he had become a successful artist and the quality and breadth of his work was impressive. Over a period of a few days, we had several interesting conversations about art. While initially feeling somewhat intimidated in his presence, this feeling was overcome as the days passed. After all, he was a true artist, whereas I was a furniture maker who had ventured into sculptural work. The following days spent discussing art had me pondering a career in the arts. Most importantly, he had become an accomplished artist. The success rate of someone like me to make such a radical change late in life would be an obstacle, but not an insurmountable one. Upon return from the vacation, my focus returned to furniture making. As my business and livelihood, it was necessary for me to be successful at this to sustain myself. I worked on a few new table designs and later created the actual tables. Two of the designs were entered in local furniture exhibitions. Since leaving my former career, furniture design and creation became my new career. The tables were designed to be statement pieces, where all my skills coalesced in creating designs that were unique and aesthetically pleasing. The shift from studying art history back to creating furniture was difficult. The introspection continued, and occasionally my wish was not to have been exposed to the art world. I was concerned it might be a prolonged distraction from my core vocation of furniture making. It was too late to turn back the clock however; art would soon become part of my life. Perhaps I was growing tired of furniture making and needed a new outlet for my creativity? Ideally, my woodworking skills could be channeled into either the visual art or the decorative art spectrum. This was already accomplished to a small degree through the small, sculptural pieces I had been creating.

As mentioned earlier, the limitations of exhibiting sculptural work in the art world would be a challenge. Instead, through the creation of hanging art, I could enter any art exhibition except perhaps those that required a theme. Another dilemma facing me was that of creating functional versus nonfunctional objects. Until now, my primary focus had been furniture, which is by definition, designed to be practical unless it is art furniture. Art furniture focused more on the aesthetics and much less on the functionality of a furniture piece. Images of dressers with wild, curved sides came to mind. It is well known that these furniture pieces are not designed with longevity or durability in mind. Instead, art furniture pieces focus on a styling trend or are considered statement pieces. The shift from finely crafted contemporary furniture designs to art furniture was not appealing to me, as it would reduce the quality and detail placed into my work. It would be too radical a change in my own furniture making philosophy. The creation of decorative arts was another option, but this classification is alternatively known as fine craft or applied art. Fine arts and applied arts are distinct from each other in the art world. Applied art, also knows as decorative art or fine craft would present a similar limitation to that of sculptural work. The available venues to exhibit such work were very few and far between. The touring exhibition of fine craft referred to in an earlier chapter was one such exhibition. I titled this chapter Form over Function as a play on words. The expression form follows function is commonly used in architecture and design. It states that the shape of an object should be primarily based on its function. The form follows function principle does not apply to the fine arts but more so to furniture design, architecture and objects. My dilemma would be the dramatic shift in emphasis to the form or appearance of an object versus the underlying function of an object.

“Slice of Nature”, 2011. Organic sculpture, mesquite and blackwood. Art is by definition, non-functional and designed to be decorative. This was

completely in contrast to the work currently performed in my furniture making. Adding to the dilemma was the acknowledgement of creating objects whose sole purpose was to provide beauty to the eye of the beholder. Should I pursue the creation of functional furniture, non-functional, decorative art objects or the creation of non-objective visual art. After some trepidation, I continued at my furniture making to support myself and the large investment made in my furniture making studio and furniture making education. During this period, as a source of revenue, tutorials and woodworking related courses were developed. Maintaining my woodworking skills along with a presence in the woodworking community was critical to the success of my effort at reinventing myself as a wood artist. Considering this, my focus continued on making custom furniture. The occasional sculptures created would maintain my presence in the art world. I was also made aware that sculptural work was more difficult to market than conventional forms of fine art, specifically paintings. Sculptures involve a display stand or plinth where a dedicated area of the home is necessary. A painting could be conveniently hung anywhere without danger of it being damaged. The sculptural work I was creating was small in dimensions where a stand was not necessary. This attribute helped considerably in marketing the small sculptures but limited expansion into larger sculptural work. Until discovering a form of hanging art that dovetailed with my woodworking, furniture making would be my creative outlet. Curved elements were also incorporated into my furniture designs in this period.

“Wishbone Table”, 2009. Curved elements, bloodwood and maple. Entered in the Wood Objects 2009 exhibition. Around this time a new aesthetic was introduced to my furniture making. I felt more at ease with curved work and decided to incorporate more of this in my work. The Wishbone Table became my first foray into curved furniture. All the elements in this console table are curved. The table was itself an engineering feat where I developed the design incrementally from a series of sketches and maquettes. Stability is a large concern of mine in the development of a furniture design. The original design for this table had the base inverted. The inverted base introduced some instability where the table could topple over if pressure was placed on the extreme outside edges of the table top. After some design tweaks, I realized that the design would need to be modified. The base was then simply inverted. It was found that the new, stable design not only had aesthetic appeal, it was also visually pleasing. Stability was also no longer a concern. A photo of the original scale model or maquette can be seen.

Original scale model or maquettes for the “Wishbone Table”, 2009. Stability issues caused me to re-design the base and instead invert it. This radical design change inspired me to coin a new process and term, that of Dynamic Design. The dynamic design philosophy is that where a design can change or evolve as its criteria change. In this case, the criteria of stability had not been thoroughly anticipated and presented itself as a possible issue. Re-designing while the design is fluid mitigated the issue. The Dynamic Design philosophy expounds on the fact that designs need not be adhered to hard and fast. Changes, either large or small, can be introduced during the design cycle. This is the dynamic part.

WOOD FIGURE ☐☐ “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see” Edgar Degas THE VISUAL APPEAL OF wood is determined by its color, texture and grain orientation. Grain orientation or the pattern of grain in and on the surface of wood can be characterized through use of the term wood graphics. Grain orientation varies considerably from wood species to wood species. How the wood was cut from a tree also affects the grain orientation. Experienced sawyers are familiar with several methods of sawing logs into boards. Each of these methods provides a different grain pattern. The different saw cuts are identifiable and determine the dimensional stability of the sawn board. As an example, plain-sawn boards cut from a log exhibit the most pronounced grain pattern in the form of a cathedral pattern. This method of sawing logs is the most efficient, economical and time-saving for sawyers. The cathedral grain pattern, however, is not very well-suited to fine furniture construction. It becomes difficult to orient boards with a cathedral pattern and not have the grain pattern visually clash throughout a piece of furniture. Plain-sawn boards are also known to not be dimensionally stable. They are particularly prone to cupping along their width. This is wholly due to the boards being cut at a tangent or tangentially to the growth rings.

Sample of plain sawn board with cathedral graphics. Wood graphics are enhanced for visibility. The cathedral pattern is commonly used in the door panels of a frame and panel assembly. To achieve the different wood patterns or graphics, wood

logs need to be cut in a certain way. Defined and standardized cutting processes have been established to create boards with certain grain characteristics. Plain-sawn wood features a pronounced cathedral grain pattern or graphics due to the board being sawn through and through from a log. Boards of logs cut parallel to the grain direction and tangent to growth rings of the tree exhibit plain-sawn grain. The sawn board also includes the heartwood and the sapwood areas. Each of these areas has grain oriented differently. To achieve a more linear visual aesthetic in a wood pattern or wood graphics, boards need to be cut from a log using a different method. The most common alternative cuts are rift-sawn and quarter-sawn. Boards of logs cut parallel to the direction of the grain but also sliced perpendicularly through the radius of the growth rings exhibit quarter-sawn grain. Both rift-sawn and quarter-sawn methods minimize the exaggerated cathedral wood graphics of plain-sawn boards. The resulting grain pattern or wood graphics are instead linear in nature with either slightly convex or slightly concave curves when viewed longitudinally. The curved pattern or graphics can be used to create harmony in the visual aesthetic of the members of a door frame or in case construction. Often, a linear grain orientation is better suited for some components of a furniture piece. A linear grain pattern is ideal for structural members of a table, stand, case or the rails and stiles of a frame and panel assembly. The non-descript linear grain facilitates assembly of the different members of a furniture piece. A linear pattern or graphic is not as visually distracting as a cathedral pattern. Wood grain patterns or graphics can also be affected by the growing conditions of a tree or how a tree grows. The term reaction wood is used to describe a tree that has not grown straight and true but instead grown in a stressful environment. The stress can be constant high winds, the tree growing on the sloped side of a hill, or the tree was damaged and continued to grow in a compromised direction. Reaction wood is identifiable by its unusual grain orientation. The grain pattern is neither straight nor cathedral. Instead, the grain exhibits an irregular pattern. Boards cut from reaction wood logs are usually avoided in furniture construction due to the inherent tension and instability in the wood. The tension can manifest itself in different ways, all unfavorable to furniture

making. The squirrely reaction wood pattern and pent-up tension creates boards which are unstable and likely to move irregularly or split at some point.

Bird’s Eye Maple board with dense figure visible. Although highly unstable reaction wood can be detrimental when used as part of a furniture project, it can be advantageous when a certain aesthetic or visual characteristic is desired. Reaction wood often has a unique, exciting grain pattern which can be used as a design element in a furniture piece. Reaction wood can also be used as a solid base for a sculpture or as an element in a sculpture. Diseased or injured wood is also directly associated with unique wood grain characteristics or wood graphics. Disease can be in the form of residue of bugs which have infiltrated a log. The bugs often leave a colored trail. Wood exhibiting this characteristic is considered to be spalted. Ambrosia maple comes to mind as an excellent example of diseased or

spalted wood. Black streaks are left behind by the ambrosia beetle. The black streaks highlight the grain pattern of a board. This distinguishing effect can be used as a design element in a furniture piece. Injured woods such as Bird’s Eye Maple, Burl Wood, Curly Maple, Quilted Maple and Flame Birch also exhibit exciting wood grain characteristics. Although it is suspected that these unique wood grain characteristics are due to injury, there exist other schools of thought as to why the wood exhibits unique grain characteristics.

Diseased wood (Ambrosia Maple) exhibiting pronounced lines. Collectively, these unique grain characteristics found in wood are recognized as elements of figured woods. The term figured wood is associated with wood exhibiting an unusual grain pattern and other features that distinguish it from wood of the same species.

Figured woods are a small percentage of the usual yield of a common wood. As an example, maple trees which exhibit Bird’s Eye characteristics are few and far between. Experienced loggers can often identify trees exhibiting figure or flawed wood, but this is not often the case. In most cases, a stand of trees is harvested and the lone tree with figure is then isolated after removing the bark from the tree. The tree with conspicuous wood figure is then set aside and marketed to buyers of figured woods. In isolated cases, a tree with figure is processed the same as other trees in the stand where it originated. Boards from this tree are then sold through similar distribution channels as other boards from the same species. I will share an experience of purchasing boards from a commercial outfit. While perusing some maple boards at a big box store, I noticed one board which stood out as being highly figured. The maple board had a rich curl figure. The board was purchased at the same price as other boards of the same wood species and has since been used as veneers in the door panels of my furniture. Commercial lumber mills are often not set up to extract boards with unusual figure. It would be cost prohibitive for the mill to set up a process to isolate both these logs and resulting boards. Therefore, they are processed as other logs and boards are. Clients seeking processed boards typically purchase wood for the species characteristics and are not seeking highly figured variants of boards. I was just in the right place at the right time. Another variant in wood surfaces are the alternating dark and light areas resulting from different wood densities. This characteristic causes any stain or finish to be absorbed differently in each respective area. The result is normally considered blotchy wood, but when viewed through an artistic eye the blotchiness yields a different result. Wood with this blotchy characteristic, when infused with transparent dye, exhibits an interesting and exciting color pattern. Color gradients of the dye applied to the wood surface create a random or abstract wood surface. Highly figured woods are also prized by musical instrument makers. Figured woods are used in the fronts and backs of certain instruments. The more pronounced the figure, the higher the desirability of the board. However, highly figured logs are most often sliced into commercial veneers. The cost effectiveness of producing multiple sheets of veneers from a solitary log far outweigh the alternative of cutting thick boards from the same figured

log.

Curly maple panel exhibiting tight curl, sample of highly figured wood Availability of highly figured woods is often sporadic. Retailers or distributors for this type of wood are few and far between. Retailers that specialize in unusually figured woods can usually be found in and around major urban centers. With the advent of online retail, it is easier to purchase figured woods or veneers today. Most wood retailers specializing in exotic and figured woods, process online orders and ship wood and veneers across the country. In the past, I have travelled to other cities to purchase figured woods. Today, although a variety of figured woods can be purchased locally, I do not hesitate to order online when necessary. A collection of highly figured woods is always maintained in my wood

storage. The figured woods are in the form of sliced veneers or boards. The boards are then sliced into shop-sawn veneers to be applied to a substrate. This is the most cost effective and efficient use of highly figured woods. Veneered panels using shop-sawn veneers are often indistinguishable from solid board variants of the same figured woods. Highly figured wood can be very expensive although this depends on the amount and quality of the figure. The species of wood is also a criterion in determining the price of figured wood. Figured woods are not limited to domestic species of woods. Quite often, figure is also found in exotic wood species. When out shopping for wood, I often peruse the figured wood section of a wood retailer to determine if an unusually figured wood board appeals to me. If so, I do not hesitate to purchase it. In all likelihood, it will otherwise be sold to another buyer. Figured domestic and exotic woods are ideal goods to purchase and hang on to since they have no expiry date and will never be obsolete! Over time, I began to incorporate figured woods into my furniture pieces. It is critical to properly use figured woods in a furniture design. Although I have created display cabinet designs with a large proportion of figured woods, it is wise to limit the use of figured woods when introducing figured woods into your designs. The use of figured woods was ramped up in certain furniture pieces only after I became familiar with the characteristics of veneered panels. A best practice is to limit the use of veneered figured wood panels to door panels for a cabinet, either within a frame and panel assembly or as the complete panel of a door. It is also highly advised to only use a single species of figured wood throughout. Otherwise, a distracting, visual clash will occur. Judicious use of figured woods in a furniture piece is therefore recommended as a best practice. Too much of a good thing can destroy the intended aesthetic. The application of figured woods became a new direction in my work. I would constantly be on the lookout at wood retailers for highly figured boards which could be resawn into thin veneers. The dimensional stability of using veneers and more specifically, highly figured ones, became very appealing. Although the process of creating thin veneers from thick boards is slow and time consuming; acquiring several slices of veneers from a single board is cost-effective. Often, the board is very unique in its characteristics where another board would be markedly different in characteristics. Therefore, acquiring the maximum number of veneer slices from a board is critical in

avoiding discontinuity of wood graphics. The sequential veneer slices originating from a board are considered a flitch of veneers. The flitch is typically taped together where multiple slices are available to a buyer. This ensures that the grain pattern or figure is matching, an important criterion in furniture making. Having resawn a considerable amount of boards into veneers, I typically plan the number of slices necessary and seek boards from which to acquire the slices. The slices often need to be combined into wider sheets for the sides of cabinets. In the case of wide sheets, two slices are necessary. The use of figured woods has introduced a new dimension into my work and furniture designs. No longer does furniture need to be uniform in grain and consistent in appearance. Figured woods enhance the appeal of furniture. The focal point often shifts to the figured wood instead of the overall design and this needs to be factored in. Figured woods could be interpreted as nature’s own abstract wood art. Furniture incorporating figured wood can be seen as featuring an element of art. I consider the furniture purely functional but exhibiting a form of art. Each board of figured wood has slightly different characteristics from another board of the same species. Continuity between slices is achieved through a method of resawing slices to form a flitch and then slip-matching them together. There is considerably less clash in the graphics when using this approach. Book-matching is another method of joining figured wood veneer slices. Here, the slices are joined at their common edge so the pattern becomes a mirror image on both sides of the veneer sheet. With several methods of combining wood slices into a veneer sheet, there are many possibilities available when using figured wood veneers in a furniture piece.

Highly figured panels in the frame and panel back of a display cabinet. The back-panel inserts are book-matched where each panel is a mirror image of the other panel.

WOOD AS ART ☐☐ “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep” Scott Adams IT WAS IN THIS PERIOD of furniture making that I began to incorporate highly figured veneers into several of my display cabinet designs. Creating veneer slices allowed me to extract greater yields from highly figured boards. Sawing a board into several thin slices was an efficient use of wood from the board. Veneered surfaces are primarily decorative, and it made little sense to use the complete thickness of a board for door or side panels. I was drawn to figured wood veneers through early experiments with veneering. Each highly figured board provided an abstract pattern of grain where slicing the board would reveal even more interesting patterns. In furniture making, these patterns are alternatively referred to as wood graphics. While assembling a book-matched selection of veneer slices to create a mirror effect, I became curious to how the veneers would look on a wall. By hanging a veneered panel on a wall, I could determine if the idea had aesthetic appeal. Could a panel of exciting, figured wood become a form of art? My next step was to temporarily create and hang a veneered panel. The panel was prepared with several coats of clear shellac to bring out the depth, clarity and figure of the wood. I convinced myself that if the aesthetic of the panel was not captivating when hung on a wall, the shellac could always be removed, and the panel reused in another furniture application. Once hung on a wall and viewed in indirect lighting, I was pleasantly surprised at how the figure of the wood came through. A decision was made to pursue this idea further. Since the panel was thin, it would be subject to changes in moisture levels in the air. This could cause the panel to distort or warp. The panel would therefore, need to be rigidly attached to a box–like structure. The rigid box would provide depth to the panel and keep it from warping in high moisture conditions. This was the

woodworker in me developing a solution to a possible problem. Deciding to use this particular panel as a sacrificial panel, a temporary box was created with the thickness of a conventionally framed piece of art. The figured veneer panel was then attached to this box structure and more thin coats of shellac applied to the complete assembly, specifically the showy parts. Once again, the boxed panel was hung on the wall. The result was more interesting than before since the wood selected for the surrounding box was darker, providing a contrasting frame for the veneered panel. The idea began to have merit. Next, two more boxed panels would be designed and created with more interesting veneers or possibly a combination of veneers. The veneered panel would need to accurately mate with the box frame to provide a cohesive aesthetic, where the front panel would appear to be integral to the box frame. I also began to design the next version of wood art panel using a combination of veneers, some darker, some lighter. This would allow me to create a secondary pattern or graphic on the panel. An example would be a serpentine line where the two veneers slices meet. Using this technique, organic patterns, linear patterns, and geometric patterns could be created on a panel. Could this design element along with the contrasting or complementary figure and color of the veneer slices evolve into wood art? Soon after, two more versions of veneered panels were completed. Due to a limitation in the width of veneer slices, the veneered panels were narrow in width and longer in length. The length or height could be varied, but the width would be limited to approximately 12 inches. After some initial positive feedback, the term wood art was coined for this new, innovative form of art. After completing these new wood art pieces and applying a clear, translucent shellac finish, the decision was made to enter one in the very next monthly exhibition at the art association I belonged to. This would become the very first hanging art I had ever created. Since a glass display case was additionally available to me for my small sculptural work, a sculpture could also be entered in the exhibition. I was curious to the reaction this initial wall-mounted wood art piece would receive. Questions were raised when several group members noticed my new work. Was this a new direction? Was I abandoning wood sculptures? The feedback from the other artists and the viewing public was overwhelmingly positive throughout the exhibition. Some comments referred

to the uniqueness of the art. A few visitors appreciated how wood was being used as an art form. This feedback inspired me to pursue this direction and to create several more pieces of wood art. I soon designed the next series of wood art. These new pieces would contain elements of inlay as well as contrasting colors. The technique developed to create the wood art panels was unique and revolutionary. The panels, once assembled and finished, could also be used as components of high-end furniture. Creating this new form of wood art created new possibilities and I was once again invigorated. Within a period of a few weeks in late 2009, several more pieces of the wood art became available. With newfound purpose and motivation, I was now actively seeking exhibition opportunities. I recall submitting a few of the pieces into conventional fine art exhibitions that either did or did not follow a theme. Over the next weeks and months, as many opportunities as possible were sought to exhibit this new form of wood art. Over time, the new wood art slowly gained acceptance as a form of visual art. This had been a concern of mine since the medium was wood and the element of paint was missing. Fine art almost always incorporates paint as a medium unless it is photographic art. It was wall-mounted art, however, possibly in the realm of mixed media but not exactly since it only involved a single medium. When entering a visual art exhibition, there is a jury process to determine the submissions accepted into the exhibition. The jury is typically diverse and composed of artists. I was hesitant when first submitting my new work to art exhibitions since wood art is radically different from fine art or paintings. I did not need to concern myself, however, and was pleasantly surprised at the acceptance of the new wood art pieces into several exhibitions. This encouraged me to continue to develop more interesting compositions. The excitement at having my work accepted was tempered however. The question of being able to create unique compositions within the constraints of a wood medium could be a challenge. Wood, by itself, is available in a limited number of colors and shades. It would be necessary to have the composition focus instead on the arrangement of woods in either a geometric pattern or a more organic composition. I took advantage of unique veneers which featured a natural, organic inclusion or a heartwood and sapwood pattern. Typically, in tropical woods, the heartwood and sapwood are contrasting in color creating an abstract composition. My creativity in assembling these compositions was sometimes stretched, but I

enjoyed the challenge. As seen in the following images, different concepts evolved of composing the woods. With each evolution, a small series of pieces was created. To determine their appeal, the pieces were shown to friends and fellow artists. Often, each series built upon an earlier series. My skill at creating wood art was incrementally increasing and I began to feel at ease with the technical aspects of creating the work. I could instead focus on the creative aspect. This transition was instrumental in my formative period as a developing artist. Creativity is the first and foremost trait an artist needs to develop and concentrate on when applying themselves to creating art. Developing this trait would free me to convey my artistic vision through my wood medium. I could now develop my voice as a wood artist. Within a few months, a body of work had begun to be assembled. As an artist, it became critical to have a body of work on hand in my style and voice. This allowed me to submit multiple pieces to a call for entry and more importantly submit a cohesive body of work to a call for a solo exhibition.

“Striations”, 2010. Spalted elm with blackwood inlay and edging

“Rising Flame”, 2010. Padauk (heartwood, sapwood combination)

In view of this temporary departure from sculptural work, I began to join other visual art groups. As is often the case, an artist needs to be a member of an art group or association to hang their work at group exhibitions. There were several local arts groups available to join.

“Converging”, 2010. Black cherry with curly maple inlay, cherry edge By now, a sufficient body of visual art was available to successfully enter art exhibitions. A few of the arts groups also held annual shows where members could display their work in a booth and have it available for sale. Accomplishing this would necessitate a larger body of work in order to fill the three walls of a booth. Never shying away from opportunities and challenges, work was begun on a large body of work in this new genre of wood art. As a natural evolution from featuring both heartwood and sapwood in the same composition, several of the new designs involved a combination of wood species to introduce even more colors into the composition. There are different exotic woods available with unique, intrinsic natural colors. As an example, padauk, a naturally red wood, could be combined with a lighter wood to provide a stark contrast. The composition of the art piece was created through organically styled joinery combining two different types of wood veneers. The joinery was often curved and non-linear. In the year 2010, three exhibitions were held where I had been invited to display my wood art. The exhibitions were either group exhibitions or sharing of wall space with another artist. The opportunity to display my work locally and acquiring exposure was rewarding. Only a year earlier, my work was limited to small sculptures. I had now progressed into the realm of fine art. Exhibition opportunities such as those mentioned were many and this would hopefully drive my art career forward in a relatively short time. With a renewed confidence in my work, the decision was made to label myself a wood artist. Soon, new business cards were designed and my web site was updated to indicate that I was a wood artist. The web site would consist of two categories, sculptural work and wall-mounted wood art. This versatility allowed me to pursue both forms of art. A few of the wood art pieces incorporated elements of inlay to create abstract compositions. Small squares and lines of contrasting woods came together in different configurations. Inlay work was my forte and incorporating it into art would provide me the opportunity to further improve my skills. In many cases, there would be an inclusion or defect in the veneered panel creating an interesting composition and focal point. Inclusions ranged from small contrasting slivers of color to shaded areas

depicting unusual shapes. Veneered panels with unusual graphics or inclusions were sought to create interesting compositions. The inclusion would then become the focal point of the art piece.

“Desert Stream”, 2010. Padauk (heartwood, sapwood combination)

Business cards featuring the new title of “wood artist”, 2010 In the early summer of 2010, I was invited to participate in a group exhibition at a well-known art gallery in Glen Nevis, Ontario. The Abbey for the Arts held rotating exhibitions of small groups of artists where the exhibitions typically following a theme. The theme for this exhibition was Summer Moods and my entry consisted of a selection of wood art pieces that followed this theme. This was to be my very first art exhibition at a gallery where my new wood art pieces could be shown. Typically, a gallery will have an opening night or vernissage for the exhibition. The gallery had arranged entertainment for the opening and provided some food and drink. Many people attended, providing me the opportunity to discuss art with both artists and patrons. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and decided to pursue the visual arts further.

Santé Gallery group exhibition art card, November 2010 Towards the final months of 2010, I was invited by gallery curator Terry Sametz to be part of a group exhibition at the upscale Santé Gallery in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Three visual artists were selected to be part of the group exhibition. This renown art gallery held rotating art exhibitions

every few weeks. Needless to say, I was both flattered and overwhelmed at the invitation.

“Geyser”, 2010. Padauk (book-matched heartwood and sapwood) Art cards were designed and printed for the exhibition by the gallery curator. My role was to supply a diverse body of work consisting of my wood wall art. The wood art would be shown alongside the art of two other visual artists. The opening night was busy with many visitors and invitees in attendance. I enjoyed discussing my work and established a dialogue with visitors to the exhibition. The art was displayed very prominently with accent lights over most of the art pieces.

“Connections”, 2010. Black cherry with pure holly inlay. Introduction of geometric elements into the composition Following these rewarding experiences, I began to truly feel like an artist. It felt as if I had finally come of age in the art world. Being acknowledged for my wood art, I was now at the juncture where recognition and validation was

received as both a sculptor and a visual artist. In view of this, the title of wood artist became more appropriate. This title would cover both genres of wood sculpture and wood art. The wood artist title was short and to the point. This title was very descriptive of my art genre and appealed to me for this reason. Another opportunity presented itself in early 2011. The opportunity to be profiled by a leading Ottawa magazine Ottawa Life came up. The magazine was interested in profiling me and writing a story about my evolution as a craftsman and wood artist. My furniture and wood art would be shown alongside each other. Seeking local and regional exposure for my work, I enthusiastically agreed to this opportunity. After meeting with a magazine writer and providing photography of my work, the well-written story was published in the April 2011 edition of Ottawa Life. Following this success, I continued to create wood art using the techniques referred to earlier. Woods of different colors and graphics were combined to create interesting compositions. Any flaws or imperfections in woods used were instead featured as focal points. Since most domestic wood species are either light or dark woods, tropical or exotic woods were also introduced into the compositions. These woods are available in a variety of colors, from light reds to deep reds to striped black and white woods. Other exotic woods such as cocobolo had varying shades of brown in a single piece. Due to the nature of these woods, exposure to light and air would often either lighten or darken the wood. The original color of the wood would, therefore, change over time. The lightfastness of wood is low and color change is almost impossible to prevent. There are UV resistant finishes available which slowed the color change process. Unless the wood is kept in a dark environment, it would be very susceptible to a change in color.

“Diverging”, 2010. Black cherry with pure holly inlay. Introduction of geometric elements into the composition

The lightfastness of wood exposed a problem. The aesthetic of wood combinations in several of my wood art pieces relied on the color of the woods. If a client were to purchase a wood art piece that included colored, exotic woods and the color changed over time, this could present a problem. In view of this, an explanation was provided to people interested in acquiring my wood art of the likelihood that this would occur. Several steps were taken to prevent this, but the nature of wood being what it is, precluded me from offering a guarantee that the colors would never change. A few clients had no issue with this after explaining to them what shade the wood would become over time. In some cases, a darker wood would provide better contrast with the lighter accent wood in the wood art. To alleviate this concern, a pure white wood, holly, was selected to provide contrast against darker woods. Holly does not yellow over time. Another favorite wood was cherry, which darkened beautifully over time. The combination of holly and cherry was a sight to behold. The problem involved wood species in colors or shades other than light or dark, specifically woods with red tones. These woods rarely ever remained red and often turned either reddish-brown or brown. The process could be delayed by keeping the wood art away from direct or even indirect light, but the color change was inevitable. This problem turned into a dilemma, as several more colored wood art pieces being created would likely not retain their colors over time. I have always held a fascination for geometric shapes and patterns and wanted to incorporate some geometry into the wood art. Continuing on, the introduction of geometric elements and patterns into the compositions was explored. In Connections and Diverging, as well as using holly as inlay, subtle geometric elements were introduced to the wood art composition. Early in 2011, I was invited to participate in an exhibition of two featured artists at the AOE Gallery. My wood art would be alongside the work of another established artist. The curator also agreed to include my sculptural work as part of the exhibition. This gave me the opportunity to design and create a series of plinths or stands for the sculptures. The exhibition was held at the AOE Gallery over a period of three months beginning in July 2011. Over the summer, a large number of visitors were introduced to my wood art and sculptures. My wood art with natural wood tones contrasted well with the colorful, abstract work of other

artists in the exhibition. A significant amount of exposure was gained from this exhibition. The positive feedback inspired me to further pursue wood as an art form.

When I hung my wood art pieces alongside other art in an exhibition, the variety of colors and hues in the other artists’ work was very apparent. My work was limited to the natural colors of woods where a shade of red was the most dramatic color. This observation was of concern to me. Visitors to the exhibition would easily be drawn to the more colorful art in paintings. Unless they were drawn to wood as a medium, my work would perhaps be overlooked. This was noticed on more than one occasion where the behavior of visitors to art exhibitions I participated in was analyzed.

Fine art at these exhibitions was definitely the draw, with its variety of colors, texture, and compositions. Considering this, thought was given to adding color to my wood art. I recalled some experiments in the past with aniline or water-based dyes. This type of dye is absorbed into the wood as opposed to a pigment dye that sits on the surface. Early experiments were performed to apply color to my wood products, but I decided to leave the woods in their

natural color instead. Coloring wood was never part of my furniture making. With this newfound requirement to add color to wood, I revisited these waterbased dyes. In addition to adding color, water-based dyes would retain the clarity and depth of the figure in the wood. Maintaining clarity and depth was an important criterion, since the whole premise of using figured wood was to highlight the natural pattern or graphics within the surface of the wood. The aniline dyes would not mask this in any way aside from coloring the wood. Over a period of time, an assortment of water-based dyes was acquired and several experiments performed. The woods selected for the experiments had considerable figure as I wanted to determine the effect of translucent dyes on the wood. Different colored dyes were applied to some Tiger maple, Birds Eye maple and Flame Birch wood samples. These were the wood varieties used most often in the creation of my wood art. I was pleasantly surprised with the results. The woods maintained their clarity and the depth of the figure was not masked or obscured in any way. There was some concern that although the dyes were labeled as clear, they might exhibit some opacity. The experiments involved off-cuts of figure wood or essentially scrap wood. My next step would be to apply a clear, natural shellac finish to the experimental pieces and to polish the surfaces afterwards. This step would provide me a better indication of the depth and clarity of the figure since shellac excels at popping figure in wood. The experiments proved to be a success.

I was very satisfied with the results. Showing sample pieces to some friends and family reinforced the idea that coloring the wood panels would be a positive step. The feedback received was extremely positive. Viewing the colored wood pieces made me realize how monochromatic the non-dyed pieces were. This new colored wood was made entirely possible through use of water-based dyes. Use of another, more opaque pigment dye would obscure the figure of the wood. The next step would be to create an actual wood art panel using the colored dye process. Many of the fine art and photo art pieces viewed at art exhibitions had matting around the art. The matting was typically lighter and uniform in color. A popular mat color was white. The matting would provide a lighter

background to the painting or photo print and distinguish it from the frame. This effect, widely used in art, made the art stand out. Consideration was made of applying this technique to my wood art pieces. After some thought, a thinner wood art panel was designed which would be raised against a white background. The white backdrop would serve as the mat. The white background layer would be incorporated into a black picture frame. Shortly afterward, work began on this process. A standard white board for the mat was used and reinforced by doubling it up within a black frame. The black box frame had contemporary styling. A new colored wood art panel would stand out or be prominent against this monochromatic background, much like matted art. The framing process for the new wood art can be seen in an initial piece in this genre, Comet. Developing a body of work of this new art would occur over a few weeks. The white board, picture frames, and mounting hardware would need to be gathered. After using a few picture frames purchased through a craft retailer, I realized as a woodworker that I could easily create my own picture frames. Next was the purchase of picture frame stock from a distributor and the creation of picture frames. This provided me the freedom to select the profile for the frame and the versatility to be able to create frames in any dimensions necessary.

“Comet”, 2012. Dye-infused wood art, highly figured quilted maple The wood panels could also be made considerably thinner since they were now in a frame and raised against a white background. Creating the wood panels involved some expertise since wood movement was an issue. Wood, by nature, moves with changes in ambient air moisture levels. Thin veneers were therefore attached to a dimensionally stable substrate. Since the solid wood veneers shrink or expand with changes in humidity, the likelihood that

the wood panels would warp was high. To offset any dimensional instability and the possibility of the panel warping or bending, a sacrificial piece of veneer was attached to the back of each veneered panel. The veneer mounted to the back of each panel would create equilibrium and balance the effect of expansion and contraction of the veneered assembly. In a few weeks, I was successful at creating a few of these new and exciting dye-infused wood art pieces. The skill of creating picture frames was also acquired. The new wood art was a dramatic shift from my earlier work. After applying a deep, clear finish to the surfaces of the new wood art panels, the effect of the figured wood with infused color was spectacular. The veneers sheets selected for the wall art were relatively random in graphics as is the nature of wood. This randomness introduced a level of abstraction into the aesthetic. The abstraction in the work was noted in feedback received from fellow artists. It is this experience that also introduced me to abstract work and its endless possibilities. The success of this experience invigorated me as an artist. Exhibiting this new art would raise my stature as a visual artist. After creating a substantial body of work, I began to seek opportunities for exhibiting this new work. Of small concern was that this new genre of work submitted to calls for entry was a considerable departure from my sculptural work. Only a short while earlier, my wood art was considerably different and consisted of sculptural work. Not having been an artist for a long period, I could only attribute this change in direction to my evolution as an artist. The same could be said for a fine artist embracing a different medium in their work. Often, visual artists shift from representational painting to abstract work and back again. In research, it was found that this is completely normal during the career of an artist. By alternating styles and mediums, the monotony an artist is faced with can be broken up. Often, a new artistic vision is introduced if a style of work is temporarily abandoned and later resumed. In my case, the timeline was shortened, as these new forms of wood art were both radical and innovative. It felt like I was on to something!

“Sundown”, 2013. Dye-infused wood art using figured veneers. The new colored wood art was intriguing to many people as well as fellow artists. To determine feedback and critique, one to five pieces would be entered in select exhibitions. Several calls for entry provided an artist the option to submit multiple pieces where one would be selected. Although the wood art had a distinct appeal, I wondered how it would fare against conventional fine art. The combination of interesting graphics and infused color in the wood would hopefully draw people in. The process of coloring the wood panels also exhibited an interesting side effect. Wood, by nature, varies in density over a certain area. The difference in density causes the absorption of the aniline dye to be irregular. This caused a dark and light effect on the surface of the wood where distinct areas would exhibit either a lighter or darker shade. In many cases, the irregular dye absorption created an image or an abstraction. An excellent example of how irregular dye absorption can affect the composition is seen in Sundown. Here, the blotchy characteristic of a tiger maple panel is used to advantage. Dense areas of the panel exhibit different color tones when dye is absorbed in to the wood. Interestingly, blotchy wood or wood with irregular density such as this panel is typically discarded by furniture makers. Instead, using this wood as art brings new life to the wood. Re-purposing or adapting the object for a different use is the result.

“Spring Bulrush”, 2013. Dye-infused wood art using figured veneers. With blotchy wood, unless the aniline dyes were infused into the wood surface, the absorption rate could not be determined ahead of time. This characteristic was intriguing to me. The element of surprise was something I looked forward to in each piece of the dyed, colored wood art. In Fire and Ice, the addition of a secondary, contrasting color to the composition was explored.

“Fire and Ice”, 2012. Dye-infused wood art, figured quilted maple

“Disturbance”, 2013. Dye-infused wood art, highly-figured veneers. Introduction of multiple, complex color shades into a composition.

As well as entering this new dye-infused wood art in select exhibitions; the timing was right for me to apply for a solo exhibition. Solo exhibitions garner the most exposure for an artist as much publicity is generated even before the event. In this early 2012 period, I had by now created a substantial body of work of this new dye-infused wood art. The solo exhibition I applied for was a prestigious City of Ottawa exhibition. As part of the submission, a selection of municipal galleries could be ticked off in priority. Three gallery choices were available and my first choice was a beautiful, enclosed gallery, the Atrium Gallery, located in the center of the city. The submission process would also involve a very good sampling of my work and extensive biographical information along with an artist resume and artist statement. Another component of the submission required a title for the exhibition. The title selected was a clever play on the words Go Figure! The Go Figure! expression, widely used as a cliché, also emphasized the wood figure in my artwork. Nothing more was thought of the submission, as the actual jurying was months away. Over the course of 2012, several more exhibition opportunities became available to me. I introduced myself and my work to the owner of a very prestigious art gallery that had recently opened. The Michael Gennis Gallery focused on internationally curated contemporary artwork, both fine art and sculpture. Until this time, I had not seen or visited such a beautiful contemporary art gallery in my city! On my initial visit to the gallery, I was intimidated to be in the presence of the art of so many internationally renowned artists. The gallery owner Michael Gennis agreed to view one of my pieces of wood art and was immediately drawn to the work. This is one of the moments in life where a person feels they are experiencing a dream. We both agreed that I should bring more art pieces in. The framing was upgraded and the work put on display. The opportunity to show and sell my work for a one-year period was provided through this gallery. Later, a few of my new contemporary sculptures would also be shown at the gallery. In early summer of 2012, a local television station contacted me about participating in a new television series, The Artisans. The series would focus on local artisans. Each segment would feature two artisans, usually with complimentary work. Enthusiastically agreeing to this, a date was set for taping of the segment I would participate in. In August 2012, I attended the

taping with a few pieces of my wood art. Having never had the experience of being part of a television series, let alone being on television, the process was intriguing. Prior to the actual taping, an interview was conducted by Sterling Lynch, the host. I was asked a series of questions about my inspiration, how the wood art was created, as well as discussion of art in general. This was done to provide me the opportunity to rehearse the live interview as well as providing a sound and video quality check. Shortly after the rehearsal, the actual taping occurred. The questions were more or less similar as the ones in the rehearsal so I felt at ease with my answers. The television series was aired throughout the upcoming months. Later, I recall watching myself as my art and background were discussed with the host. I spoke eloquently in the brief period but wish more time was available to better cover my practice, my new work methodology and my passion for wood. Occasionally, friends and acquaintances would mention that they had seen me on television many months after the taping! Later in 2012, I was notified by the City of Ottawa exhibition coordinator that my solo exhibition submission had been accepted and the first gallery choice was also selected. This news made me ecstatic! The culmination of my efforts at using wood as an art medium would finally come to pass. This could not make me happier. The process leading up to the City of Ottawa exhibition would involve a series of tasks including creation of art cards, publicity, and determining the placement of my art on the walls of the gallery. This would keep me busy for several weeks in early 2013. The dates of my solo exhibition were also provided to me. Each artist is provided a five-week window for an exhibition. My exhibition dates for Go Figure! at the Atrium Gallery were from March 22 to April 22, 2013.

“Heat Wave”, 2013. Dye-infused wood art, highly-figured tiger maple veneers. Intro of multiple, complex color shades into a composition. The years 2012-13 provided several unique opportunities to showcase my evolving wood art. These opportunities were instrumental in advancing my wood art and sculptural work. Having my wood art in a prestigious art gallery, the Michael Gennis Gallery, dramatically increased both my stature and validation as a visual artist. The arts community began to take notice of my work. My confidence level rose where any doubt about the appeal of my work vanished. Acceptance to a City of Ottawa solo exhibition further solidified my confidence. If a panel of jurors deemed my work suitable for a solo exhibition, how could I harbor any doubt about the quality and uniqueness of the work. In the few short years of entering the art world, I was still considered an emerging artist. The year 2012 was to be my peak year as an emerging artist. There were times where I thought the introduction of both genres of sculptural work and wood art would confuse the viewing public. However, the common medium was wood. It was also discovered that there is considerable evolution early on in an artist’s career. With wood as my medium, being accepted into exhibitions along with a large, prestigious solo show, played an integral role in shaping my evolution as a wood artist. An emerging artist is defined by a voice and style that is both rewarding and demanding of further exploration. Through the evolution of the artist and their work, the form and quality of their art typically improves. Participating in the visual arts field brings with it a steep learning curve. Being self-taught and without a formal education in the arts, I concluded through my progression that every decision and experience increased my knowledge of the arts. The experience and knowledge gained was invaluable in my formative years as an artist. The typical window is five years for an emerging artist to develop a unique voice, aesthetic and style. The artist seeks a voice and style that is unique, appealing, intriguing and inspirational. Two more years remained in my probationary, emerging artist status!

WALL ART ☐☐ “Creativity requires input, and that’s what research is. You’re gathering material with which to build” Gene Luen Yang ANOTHER EXCITING OPPORTUNITY was presented to me in this period. Through my developing reputation as a wood artist, a commission was received to create a very large piece of wall art for a client. An iterative process was launched where I would collaborate with the client on a design for the wall art. Input from the client was followed with sketches and drawings. The critical elements of the wall art were highly figured, naturally toned wood panels with contrasting metal tubes to join the components of the art. After several consultations, the final design was based on the following scale model where the vertical components would be of metal. This commission provided me the opportunity to explore large-scale wall art. This direction was one I wished to pursue since it appeared to be untapped at that time. Although the large scale of the components and size of the final piece were intimidating, I felt I should embrace the challenge. New techniques and methods of work would need to be developed to be able to create such large-scale work. Mounting the assembled piece on a wall would present another challenge since there is considerable weight involved.

Scale model of wall art commission. Vertical elements would be metal. The scale model or maquette along with the completed large-scale wall art installation can be seen above and below. The size in the photo can be misleading as this is a very large piece of art. The outside components of figured, spalted elm provide excellent contrast to the darker wood panel joining them through the hollow metal tubes. The metal tubes introduce another medium into the design, that of metal.

Final wall art commission with 8 ft. wide and 2.5 feet high dimensions. Spalted elm veneers, metal and solid wenge.

The opportunity to have designed and created a large piece of wall art using my established medium of wood opened my eyes to new possibilities. I soon began to create other scale models and full-size equivalents of large scale wall art. The criteria for large wall art were somewhat different than for smaller pieces. Since overall weight would be an issue, a strong hanging mechanism was critical. Lightweight picture frame wire and D-hooks could no longer be relied on. Instead, a system of French cleats was incorporated into the back of the wall art. The cleats on the art would mesh with cleats on the wall to reliably support the weight of the wood wall art. Another criterion was the availability of large pieces of wood to be used in the design of the wall art. Large, seamless pieces of wood became crucial in avoiding visible seams joining the individual pieces of wood. Seams would take attention away from the wall art design and instead cause the viewer to focus on an element not part of the design. In certain cases, seams were unavoidable and a best effort was made to make the seam less obvious.

Wall art commission with 6-foot-wide and 2.4-foot-high dimensions. Solid butternut and solid wenge.

The requirement for figured woods was also dropped with subsequent largescale wall art commissions. Due to the large size, the focal point of the

installation was the design rather than the individual components of the wall art. The woods selected for a few of the large-scale wall art commissions instead met the alternative criteria of providing contrast with one another. The contrast of combining woods with different characteristics such as color and texture would instead direct focus to the design. Although having components of the design in figured wood was entirely possible, this was to become optional in these commissions and subsequent commissions. The possibilities were endless as to the wall art designs I could create. The collaborative process of developing a design, rendering, creating maquettes and full-size installations was exciting. The challenge and satisfaction of creating large wood wall art which would hang in a client’s home was very rewarding. Designs could be straightforward and involve a minimal amount of materials. Designs could also be complex with curved components and include alternative mediums to wood such as metal and possibly stone.

Final wall art commission with 6 ft. wide and 2.4 ft. high dimensions. Solid butternut and solid wenge. A caveat to the creation of these large-scale wall art pieces is the requirement for considerable studio space. The large dimensions of a single wall art piece would only allow me to work on one piece at a time. It is somewhat of a

constraint to ensure that while working on large wall art that my shop space is not being shared with other wood art projects. With smaller forms of wall art, I can simultaneously create more than one art piece or work in multiples. It is more efficient to prepare panels for two or three smaller wood art pieces. Although smaller wood art pieces are different from each other in graphics and color profiles, creating multiples allows me the freedom to focus on the aesthetic of the piece. Often, I alternate between smaller wood art pieces and the occasional large-scale wall art piece. Although my studio is large, sizable wall art pieces can quickly overwhelm my workspace. This is mentioned to prospective clients to make them aware that large wall art demands not only more resources and time but a large, dedicated space to be able to create and assemble their art commission. Incorporating alternative media in large-scale wall art designs also requires skills other than working with wood. For example, metal-working skills are necessary to be able to confidently join wood to metal. Cutting metal and determining the best approach to attach metal components to wood becomes a critical step in the design and maker process. Working with glass as a medium requires another set of techniques, often developed through trial and error. Joining glass to metal or to wood requires special techniques since glass is a dimensionally stable medium and does not move whereas wood expands and contracts. These are all factors to consider in the creation of large-scale wall art. Several scale models or maquettes of the wall art have been created over a period of time. The maquettes can either be used later as full-size wall art or individual elements in each of the maquettes can be incorporated into a new wall art piece. Since the material cost is negligible in creating these maquettes, more radical or bold compositions can instead be rendered. This is an excellent example of where unrestrained creativity can be tapped into.

Alternative drawings and renderings for large-scale wall art designs. The unique designs are in many cases collaborative.

SCULPTURE REDUX ☐☐ “Artists rarely do the same thing over and over again. Art is about the new, doing things in a new way” Eli Broad DURING THIS PERIOD OF exploration, my sculptural work was languishing. Monthly exhibitions at the arts group OWAA, where I was a member, provided me the opportunity to create a series of small sculptures. Although the sculptures were becoming more organic and not as linear and geometric as earlier work, I found the appeal lacking and a sense of monotony was developing. My interest in creating sculptures was beginning to wane, as they simply were no longer challenging to create. The small dimensions of the sculptures made them fairly similar to one another. The small size was attributed to the limitations of the glass display case at the OWAA arts organization. The sculptures were limited in height, depth and width. Since the display case was shared with other sculptors, my work could not occupy anything larger than a standard glass shelf. In view of this, my focus instead shifted to the new dye-infused wood art. A wood art piece could be entered in each of the monthly exhibitions at the arts organization along with one of my small sculptures. The contemporary art gallery I was an artist in, Michael Gennis Gallery, also exhibited sculptural work. In casual conversation, it was mentioned to the gallerist that work had begun on a new series of sculptures. With the success of my dye-infused wood art, the decision was made to experiment with applying the dye-infused process to my sculptures. Until this time, my wood sculptures were natural wood-toned where finish was simply applied to the wood. The dye-infused process inspired me to create a series of sculptures using the coloring process.

“Interrupted”, 2012. Earlier natural-toned solid wood sculpture. Figured maple with inclusion of flaw, rosewood base. The possibility also arose of another venue, the Michael Gennis Gallery, to display my sculptural work. This motivated me to the challenge of creating a new series of sculptures utilizing the dye-infused process previously developed for my wood art. The sculptures at this art gallery were not limited to display cases. Instead, they were mounted on plinths. Size was therefore no longer a restriction. A focus on a more organic aesthetic was also initiated

with the introduction of curves into my new sculptural work. In the spring of 2012, work began on this new series of sculptures. I also decided to double the height of this new series of sculptures. Due to the organic aesthetic and the introduction of curves in the wood, the additional height would better represent the form. Other dimensions such as width and depth would remain the same. The very first sculpture created “Interrupted” was carved from a single piece of highly figured Manitoba Maple wood. It was in the form of a flame with a sinewy shape flowing from bottom to top. As this was the first of the new series, it was decided not to be too bold with colors. Instead, the overall color was a shade of deep, light golden brown. The dye applied was water-based and very transparent. This was necessary to not mask the figure of the wood, since part of the appeal of the sculpture was the figure in the wood as well as the organic flame shape. The final surface of the sculptures would need to be finely scraped and polished to a high degree. The wood would need to impart a perfect, deep clarity. As part of the finishing process, considerable time was invested in the scraping and polishing stage. The results of this effort were pleasantly surprising. The aesthetic was the contemporary style I was achieving. The new sculptures were radically different from my earlier work and were stunning! Considering this, I was once again motivated to create sculptural work. A broader selection of colors had already been successfully applied to my wood art so why not infuse more color into the sculptures. This new series of sculptures would provide me the opportunity to distance myself from natural wood tones and brown shades. It would hopefully bring a new dynamic to the new series of sculptures. In the next two sculptures, I moved away from a brown shade to alternative shades of red and orange. Since my original wood art was created by applying a veneer over a hollow form, it was decided to use this technique for the next series of colored sculptures. The process of applying veneers over a hollow form is similar to that of creating musical instruments such as violins and small guitars. A sheet of figured veneer would need to be applied to both the front and back of the sculpture to both provide dimensional stability and for aesthetic reasons. Since the sculpture would be observed from four sides, each side would need to have a properly applied finish. The front and back panels of this series were wide whereas the sides were narrow.

The veneers used for the front and back were highly figured Tiger maple. I challenged myself to be able to create this new sculpture series and afterwards apply the dye-infused color process. The finishing for this new series of sculpture would continue to be the French Polish process. This finishing process was successfully used in my wood art, as it imparts depth and clarity to the surface of the wood. It became important to not obscure the figure or graphics of the wood and instead apply a translucent color to it. The French Polish process is applied using shellac, alcohol and a very small amount of oil for lubrication. The shellac is then applied in extremely thin layers that build on one another. Shellac is the most natural of all finishes, it is derived from the Lac bug and formed into shellac flakes of varying color from orange to super blonde, the clearest of them all. Super Blonde shellac is always used in my work as it does not impart any of its own color to the finish. Since color has already been applied to the wood using infused dyes, the shellac does not interfere with the underlying colors and tones. After creating two of these new sculptures “Inferno”, color was applied and considerable time devoted to the finishing process. The colors selected were orange and red. This was quite a leap from the earth-tone natural colors of my earlier work. Red and orange colors were successfully used in my wood art and this drew many people to the work. People expressed fascination and intrigue at the depth and clarity of the colored figure in the wood art. The translucent finish imparted a mirror-like quality to each surface. The colored sculpture was mounted on a base of dark, tropical hardwood. The dark wood contrasted very well with the dye-infused, colored sculpture. Often, when working on a new sculpture, it can be determined early on if the aesthetic is appealing. This is simply an innate feeling from within. In the process of creating these two new sculptures, I began to feel a new vibe! The sculptures would be brilliant and unique as I pride myself on creating work that has not been done before. Shortly after completing the sculptures, my excitement grew as the work was shown to acquaintances and friends. The response was overwhelmingly positive. The deep, clear finish that brought out the figured woods became the initial draw. The form of the sculpture was next in its appeal. The contrast between a colored sculpture and dark hardwood base also served to enhance the experience of viewing the

sculptures. The veneers sheets selected for both the front and back of the sculptures were random in graphics as is the nature of wood. This randomness introduced a level of abstraction into the aesthetic. The abstraction was similar to that of the wood art I had been creating. It is this experience that continued to enlighten me to abstract work and its endless possibilities. This breathed new life into my sculptural work and new opportunities were sought to show this work. Exposure is critical to an artist’s survival; it is constantly drilled into us to get our work out there. In this period of early 2012, I was informed of a group of sculptors in my area. These sculptors had formed a group or network as they called it. The National Capital Network of Sculptors or NCNS consisted of sculptors in various media. There were two other sculptors in my medium of wood. The group encouraged prospective members to attend one of their meetings to determine if they would fit in with the group and its charter. With the need for exposure of my new series of sculptures and the need to network with other sculptors in the area, I attended one of the NCNS monthly meetings. The meeting was positive and informative. It was impressive how the small group had become established as the premier sculptor’s association in the Ottawa area. In dialogue with various NCNS members, it was discovered that we shared similar challenges in bringing awareness to our sculptural work. I joined the sculptors group and began attending the monthly meetings. The NCNS group also prided itself on their annual sculpture show, Dimensions, where each participating member would show one or more of their latest sculptures. The venue chosen was a very prestigious one and the group had a successful marketing plan in place. Many collectors of sculpture, as well as the viewing public, were aware of this annual show. Through sheer coincidence, the next Dimensions Show to be held was only a few months away, in September 2012. A submission was drafted to include pieces from my new series of sculptures. The NCNS Dimensions 2012 submission was accepted a few days later and this would provide me the opportunity to show my new work to a broad audience of sculpture collectors. A part of the submission involved volunteering for a task in the preparation and running of the sculpture show. I volunteered to participate in the setup of the show. Each participating

member of the show was also tasked with aiding in publicizing the event. My role would be to contact some media and newspapers as well as distributing art cards to certain venues. Within the same year 2012, I also had the opportunity to show my new sculptures to Michael Gennis of the Michael Gennis Art Gallery. He admired the new work and asked that one of the new sculptures be shown in the gallery where he would dedicate a plinth to the sculpture. The exposure that this opportunity would bring was immeasurable. In only a short time, this new series of sculptures was developed with two prestigious venues to exhibit the work in. The enjoyment and reward derived in creating these sculptures was re-invigorating. I began to feel a breakthrough in my future as an artist. The dye-infused color process was a success in that it brought out the abstract figure and graphics of the wood in both my new wood art and sculptural work. The dye-infused color process was successfully applied to both genres of work. Applying a thin, clear shellac finish over the colored wood was a process involving weeks of experiments. The French Polish method was commonly used over 150 years earlier but there was scant documentation explaining it in detail. The tradition had not been carried on successfully and few people used it today due to the inordinate amount of time and labor necessary in its application. Through a few documented steps and much iteration and experimentation, I was by now comfortable with the application and process. Proficiency was soon gained in using this finishing method.

“Inferno”, 2012. Tiger maple veneers, solid maple, rosewood base The NCNS Dimensions 2012 show date arrived and preparations were in place for it to be a success. As with most exhibitions and art shows, there is considerable publicity in the weeks and days leading up to the event. An opening event or vernissage is usually held for the show. The opening night was widely advertised and I discovered that many local sculpture aficionados

and collectors attend the openings. As testament to the prestige of the event, the mayor of the city officially opened the event and mingled with artists and patrons afterwards.

Niche Award Finalist Certificate for “Inferno”, 2013 Late in 2012, notification arrived that I was selected as a finalist for a very prestigious NICHE Award. The sculpture, “Inferno”, had been entered into the competition a few weeks earlier. My entry was one of five sculptures selected from across North America by an elite jury panel. I had also begun to win other art awards in the 2012-13 period.

As with many art and sculpture exhibitions, there were art cards and posters designed and printed to feature the Dimensions 2012 event. The art cards are widely distributed to local art stores, art galleries and art venues. As well, posters are placed throughout the city to advertise the art or sculpture exhibition. I received a stack of art cards and a few posters to distribute in the

weeks leading up to the event. To my surprise, my latest sculpture and entry in Dimensions 2012 was prominently featured on both the art card and poster. Soon, the setup day for the event arrived. Plinths were transported to the venue, set up and sculptures delivered. Lighting, a large factor in the success of the show, was strategically set up to highlight each of the sculptures. The plinths were all painted white to provide uniformity to the show and to not detract from the sculptures. My entry, mounted on a white plinth, was prominently displayed in the center of the show. Guests and visitors arrived, soon the venue was brimming with sculptors, guests, and viewing public. Most, if not all the sculptors in attendance would hover around their work to generate discourse with interested viewers. I also did this, as well as observing from a distance. Since this was my first group sculpture exhibition, I was keen to determine if my work had any appeal and if it generated dialogue among the patrons of this opening event. Since this work was radically different from other sculptural work researched, I was curious to see the reaction received. Artists and sculptors tend to enter their best work in exhibitions and shows such as this one. The work is not only their best but their latest work, and very often an artist or sculptor will go outside their comfort zone to create work for such prestigious shows. It is therefore not surprising to see that many, if not all the other sculptures, had great appeal with the viewing public. My sculpture drew considerable interest and people were overwhelmingly surprised to find it was created of wood. Great delight was taken in mentioning that the sculpture was indeed wood. A dialogue followed of the choice of figured wood used in the sculpture and the history of both the musical instrument process and the French Polish finishing process. It was not merely a sculpture, but an assemblage of exotic, figured woods and period maker processes and techniques. Although it was not necessary to be present over most of the four days of the sculpture show, I decided to spend as much time as possible at the show. This was an exhilarating period, to be able to discuss my new work with visitors and patrons of the sculpture show. The opportunity to interact with the public and gain exposure within my city was also beneficial. Until this time, I had only exhibited small sculptures at the single venue of the OWAA arts organization. The NCNS Dimensions show ended a few days later and was then dismantled. Over the course of the

Dimensions 2012 show, a few contact names were acquired that could be followed up with over the next days and weeks. On the last day of the show, I recall the anticipation of next year’s version of the show and the enjoyment that would be derived in designing and creating sculptural pieces for the next show. Over the next few months, preparations took place for my upcoming solo exhibition at a city gallery. The exhibition Go Figure! held from March to April 2013, would involve a large body of work encompassing both my current and early wood art. Only a year separated the different styles, but I felt it was important to show both. The evolution of my wood art from a monochromatic to a colorful palette would be interesting to show visitors to the exhibition. I looked forward to the experience of hosting a solo exhibition. The body of work to be exhibited would need to be my best work in this genre. An opportunity like this demanded my complete focus, as visitors to the exhibition would help spread the word of my artwork. The work needed to be properly framed and mounted, flawless and appealing! The Go Figure! exhibition opening on March 30, 2013, was very well attended. The NCNS sculptors group I was a member of graciously elected to have the members attend my exhibition opening instead of the regular monthly meeting held the same evening. As many acquaintances as possible were invited to the opening as well as dignitaries and media. As is the case with art openings, not everyone who is invited attends. It therefore becomes important to draw from every acquaintance, sculptor aficionado, and the public, when issuing invitations to the exhibition. There were several weeks to prepare and I worked from a checklist of tasks to complete. There were several tasks leading up to both the installation of the exhibition and the exhibition opening. While assembling the body of work to display at the solo exhibition, three extra art pieces were created to substitute for any sales. Typically, when a sale is made at such an art exhibition, the piece remains up for the duration of the exhibition. After the exhibition has ended, the purchaser picks up their purchase. A purchaser does however, have the option to immediately collect their purchase. Extra pieces would allow for this situation. As well, the art is catalogued and the list is provided to the gallery

curator prior to the exhibition. The gallery curator then prints off many copies of the exhibition list for interested visitors. They can leave with the list and quickly identify an art piece they expressed an interest in purchasing. In the days and weeks following the exhibition opening event or vernissage, I had the opportunity to bring people for a tour of the exhibition. A media reporter asked to tour the exhibition with me. Information and background on the wood art was discussed as well as the inspiration for it and the processes used to create the art. Family and friends from out of town attended, it was an opportunity to show the breadth of my work. The exhibition was a glowing success and provided me the confidence to move forward with this genre of art! One of the focal pieces of wood art exhibited at Go Figure! was a larger wood art composition “Inferno 1”, formed by combining two wood art pieces into a single piece. A small black reveal between the wood art pieces served to create a fine line highlighting the unique composition. The deep black frame outlined the wide composition and set it apart from the narrower pieces I had in the exhibition.

“Inferno 1”, 2012. Dye-infused wood art, highly-figured tiger maple veneers. Composition with two wood art pieces combined to form one. In the spring of 2013, I was informed of a possible commission to create a sculpture. The client had seen a dye-infused sculpture of mine on display at the Michael Gennis Art Gallery. The client asked if they could have a taller one created with a similar aesthetic. Until this time, I had not considered creating a taller version, as my new series was already double in height from the original series of sculpture. My first series of wood-toned geometric and organic sculptures were on average ten inches in height whereas this new series was close to twenty inches in height. With the commission in mind, the

challenge of creating even taller sculptures was embraced.

Art card for the “Go Figure!” solo exhibition, designed and printed following the City of Ottawa criteria. Art cards are widely distributed to art stores, direct mailings, art galleries. The card was designed by a graphic

designer who was also a sculptor and a member of the same sculptors group I belonged to. It is often wise to tap into resources within groups you belong to. In many cases, the fee for the service is bartered. You can reciprocate by providing a service you specialize in.

“Go Figure!” opening night prior to the actual opening or vernissage Designs were drawn and the process began of creating a new sculpture using a solid block of highly figured wood. This sculpture was not only taller but larger in dimensions since it would be shaped out of a wide and deep solid block of wood. In previous sculptures, the front and back were composed of highly figured veneers whereas only the sides were solid wood. Applying veneer to only the front and back of the sculpture worked well in earlier sculptures, since the sides were narrow in comparison to the wide front and back panels. In this latest version, “Eternal Flame”, the front, back, and sides were of equal width, therefore a greater amount of wood figure could be displayed. It would be necessary to properly finish all four sides of these larger sculptures. The shaping process was slowly begun while being careful to maintain uniformity in width on all sides. This new sculpture was composed of complex curves to form a pseudo-organic shape. I worked

within the constraints of the base when planning the dimensions and radius of the curves. The base determined the overall curves. An emphasis on the radius of the curves was factored into the stability of the structure. After all, it is critical that it be stable. Larger radius curves would extend out further, making it crucial to have a much larger and more substantial base. This destroys the aesthetic of the sculpture. The footprint of the sculpture would need to be small and yet provide stability for the 30-inch tall sculpture. As much as I like to let loose and let my creativity determine the shape of a sculpture, introducing design criteria into the piece must occur. This maintains both a safety aspect and an aesthetic vision in the sculptural work. The fair curves in the sculpture were created using a variety of instruments. I found it critical to introduce curves with a uniform radius. Having the radius as uniform as possible also facilitates the cutting of the sculpture from a larger blank. Shaping the fair curves afterwards is also less risky through use of a fair curve with a defined radius. I also took the opportunity to create templates of the curves in the sculpture. If something were to happen, I could replicate the sculpture beginning with a new blank. This provided me peace of mind in the creation of this sculpture. The new 30-inch-tall sculpture, “Eternal Flame”, was an order of magnitude taller than the previous 20-inch sculptures. The creation process was slow, as this initial sculpture of the new series had me delving into uncharted waters. It was necessary to develop new techniques and processes. I had not worked on a sculpture in this style until now. After completing the new, taller and larger sculpture, the time-proven dye-infused coloring process was applied. An orange shade was decided on since the experience of applying it to earlier sculptures was positive. With a French Polish finish laboriously applied afterwards, the new sculpture immediately struck me as a fascinating representation of abstract graphics in highly figured wood. Showing it to a select group of acquaintances also brought glowing compliments. It was through this particular sculpture that the decision was made to create all future sculptures in a larger, more prominent size. The organic styling would also lend itself well to a larger and taller sculpture.

French Polish finishing process where clarity and depth can be seen. Designing and creating this sculpture was a pivotal crossroad in the evolution of my sculptural work. My ultimate goal was to create large sculptures, not overwhelmingly large, but large enough to draw attention to the piece. I also wanted to pursue contemporary styling in my sculptural work. It was felt at the time that the trend was moving away from traditional sculptures and towards a more contemporary aesthetic. Since this new series of sculptures would be devoid of elements such as inlay and complimentary or contrasting woods, it would have wider appeal due to its simpler aesthetic. Although the appeal of this sculpture went beyond my expectations, I did have one concern. The concern of being a victim of my own success. Would I be condemned to creating similar sculptures for the foreseeable future? This is often a concern of mine in any creative endeavor, that of being typecast as a maker of a specific object. Once a series is completed, I prefer to explore other forms before returning to creating more of the current series. This strategy keeps my creative juices flowing and adds variety to the bodies of work I create.

Creating the “Eternal Flame” sculpture in my studio, 2013 Through this unanticipated and successful experience, it was decided to create a next series of sculptures even taller and larger in dimensions, at approximately 40 inches in height. The larger sized sculptures were also superior at presenting the complex figured graphics of the woods being used. Since the area of the sculptures was dramatically larger, the figured woods could be more prominently featured. It was found that there was not much extra effort in moving to larger sizes as the labor-intensive part was in

shaping and finishing.

“Eternal Flame”, 2013. Highly figured maple with rosewood base.

“NFAL Awards”, received in June 2013 for Eternal Flame sculpture Since the solo exhibition Go Figure! had ended in late spring of 2013, my focus shifted to sculptural work. Having already amassed a large body of wood art in preparation for Go Figure!, there was little point in creating even more work in this genre. I also felt the need to gain more expertise in creating sculptures, especially larger and taller ones. However, the next series of larger and taller sculptures proved to be a challenge. Working with a similar process used to create the recent 30-inch tall sculpture, sourcing began for large blanks of wood to be used in carving and shaping of the large sculptures. After considerable searching and visits to wood retailers, large blanks of wood could not be sourced. In my search, a list of contacts that specialized in exotic wood blanks was provided to me. After calling and visiting several of the suppliers, sufficiently large blanks to shape sculptures could still not be located. Since this series of sculptures had an organic shape, it was necessary to have the dimensions of the wood blanks

much wider and deeper to allow for shaping of the sculpture. After a few weeks of searching and considering alternatives such as joining smaller blanks together, I had almost given up all hope for this project. Assembling a large blank from smaller pieces would also expose unnecessary seams in the woods. As well, bringing different woods together takes away from the harmony of the sculpture since the graphics are no longer flowing but broken up. My objective at the time was to create a large sculpture from a single blank of wood. Considering the difficulty in sourcing satisfactory blanks, I began to reconsider pursuing this project and was prepared to drop it instead. A short time later, it dawned on me to perhaps apply the same process used to create my first series of dye-infused sculptures. This process involved attaching veneered sheets to a hollow form. The technique worked well since the sculpture was several times wider than deep. Instead, with the large sculptures envisioned, all sides are similar in dimensions precluding the use of a hollow form. The front and back would be half the width of the smaller sculptures. A hollow form would need to have substantial amounts of solid wood at each corner leaving very little space to hollow out the middle. The large amount of wood at each corner was necessary to be able to shape the organically styled sculpture. The process was therefore not scalable simply due to the large dimensions of this new series of sculptures. More research and experiments on how to successfully create a larger sculpture continued. The criteria necessary to create a large blank would involve a large amount of wood to shape the form of the sculpture. Since large, solid wood blanks could not be sourced, I decided instead to create one using narrow strips of wood. Assembling the pieces together along their length would allow me to build up a blank to the necessary dimensions. Wood movement is always an issue with large pieces of wood. Since my plan was to apply a sheet of veneer to each of the four sides of the sculpture, it was essential that the underlying wood blank be as stable as possible. Wood movement manifests itself with changes in moisture content in the air. By using small pieces of wood in the assembly, the wood movement issue is largely cancelled out if properly executed. From earlier studies on wood movement, I recalled how rift-sawn wood was very stable. If a collection of rift-sawn pieces could be assembled using glue;

a large and tall blank from which to carve and shape a sculpture could be successfully created. Experiments began to create a small blank using this process. A pattern eight pieces wide and eight pieces deep was combined to create a large, square shaped blank. The pieces were assembled and glued together in four sections; the four sections were then glued together to form the final blank. The process appeared to be straightforward enough and resulted in a large, tall blank square. Since the blank was solid and not hollow as originally planned, lighter woods were used to reduce the overall weight of the sculpture. Having completed the blank, some scrap sheets of veneer were applied to each of the sides and the edges were then trimmed. This would provide me a better indication of the viability of this new process. The wood movement issue becomes increasingly critical as the size of the blank is increased. The results were satisfactory but only time would tell if the inner core of the assembly would remain dimensionally stable. The NCNS Dimensions 2013 sculpture show was coming up at the end of summer 2013. The opportunity to show a new series of much larger sculptures motivated me to pursue the creation of at least two of these sculptures. I was keen on establishing myself as a wood sculptor and any opportunity at exposure helped in this mission. In discussions with other sculptors and artists, upcoming shows usually motivate them to break out of their comfort zone and create new, stimulating work. The upcoming NCNS Dimensions show would become my opportunity! Because of the earlier delays in sourcing wood blanks, only two months were available to develop new processes to create the sculptures. Poplar was selected as the wood for the inner core. Working with some rough planks, a series of uniform rift-sawn pieces were cut. Enough pieces were cut to create two large blanks (cores) along with leftover pieces. The pieces were assembled in groups of four with alternating grain patterns. The four groups were then glued together to form the large wood blank.

NCNS Dimensions 2013 sculpture exhibition. September 2013 The alternating patterns of the inner rift-sawn wood strips would cancel each other out and considerably minimize or eliminate any wood movement. The criterion of dimensional stability was critical since thin veneer sheets would be applied to the exterior of the blank. With a large amount of wood movement, the veneer sheets could split and tear apart. The next phase would be to shape the form of the sculpture from the blank prior to applying the veneers. This process involved the creation of a template and then using a special instrument to create a fair curve along the length of the blank. The curved surfaces would need to be identical on each of the four sides of the wood blank. I had also decided to taper the shape of the sculpture towards the top to reduce the bulkiness of the form. A tapered, organic shape would also be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. With the blanks complete, their surfaces were smoothed and flattened to ensure the veneer sheets would uniformly adhere along the four surfaces. Applying the figured veneer sheets to the shaped core was the next part of the process. The veneered sheets were prepared earlier. The graphics of the veneers were selected to provide a harmonious, cohesive flow from top to bottom. As well, the veneers were matched on each of the four sides to give the appearance that the sculpture was carved from a large, single blank of wood. The veneer sheets were applied in pairs and then trimmed. The remaining veneers were then applied to the other sides of the core while exercising great care. It became critical to ensure that each of the four sheets of veneer was properly attached to the core and without air bubbles. As the sculptures evolved, I became increasingly excited! It was the sheer size of the sculptures that held me in awe! Since the organic shape was based on a sinewy flame, the extra height of the sculpture introduced an extra curve that added to the aesthetic. At this stage, both sculptures were impressive in size with an appealing form; although they had not yet been mounted to their exotic rosewood bases.

Making of “On Fire”. Temporary bases can be seen. Veneers have been applied to the assembled and shaped cores. Finishing is the next step. The next step after sanding and scraping the veneered surfaces to a smooth texture, would be to apply the infused dye color. An orange shade for one sculpture and a red shade for the second sculpture was decided on. Dyes were created and judiciously applied along each of the surfaces. A large amount of attention was necessary to ensure the dyes were properly and uniformly applied. Once the dyes had sufficiently dried, the veneered sides of the sculpture were once again ever so lightly scraped.

Water-based dyes tend to raise the grain of wood and it was necessary to finely scrape the surfaces afterwards to regain the smoothness. The last stage of the process was to apply the finish. In this case it would be the French Polish shellac method successfully used on my earlier sculpture series. This was performed over a period of days as each coat needed to be very thin. The clarity and depth of the figure is maintained through application of successive, thinned layers of clear shellac. After application of the finish, the surfaces were polished and rubbed down. A very thin final layer of shellac was then applied. At this stage, the rewards of my work could begin to be seen. The surfaces of the sculptures imparted a glow and sheen reminiscent of a mirror. The figure and graphics of the wood appeared translucent with great visual depth. The colored wood sculptures were outstanding! Dark, rosewood bases which had already been prepared, were attached a short while later. I could not be more satisfied with the results. The sculptures were original and very organic in shape. The forty-inch length introduced enough curves into the design to easily distinguish the flame pattern. With weeks to go, creation of these two large sculptures was completed and finishing touches applied. The sculptures were entered in the NCNS Dimensions show a short time later. It was necessary for the organizers of the show to be apprised of the size and quantity of sculptures each artist brings to the show. This ensured that adequate sized plinths were available and set up. The Dimensions 2013 sculpture show was held in early September 2013 and was a success, as always. Attendance was high, especially on opening night. My volunteer task for this show had changed from the previous year. I was now tasked with publicity for the show. This task involves considerable timing and establishment of contacts. Accurate timing ensures that media organizations are notified early on of the dates for the event. Each media group has their own lead times for articles and exhibition announcements. The publicity task was performed over the few weeks leading up to the Dimensions 2013 sculpture show.

“On Fire 1”, 2013. Highly figured dye-infused maple veneers on solid riftsawn core. Rosewood base. Organic shaped sculpture, 40 in. tall. Through my earlier membership in the OWAA arts organization, I had gained experience in performing the publicity task, although not on the scale of the Dimensions show. This publicity task allowed me to establish new contacts and to understand the process better. This new expertise could also be applied to next year’s exhibition or to any other arts organization I was a member of. With the visual arts being a discretionary niche in today’s world, it becomes increasingly important to publicize and bring awareness to art and sculpture exhibitions. One of the missions of organizers of art and sculpture exhibitions is to disseminate as much information as possible about the exhibition. Introducing new people to the world of visual art and sculpture serves to widen the art niche. Each artist in this exhibition was tasked with inviting as many of their acquaintances as possible. Often, people are simply not aware that these exhibitions exist where they have an opportunity to purchase a piece of art. “Invitations to attend” focus not only on the opening night or vernissage of art exhibitions, but apply to the duration of the exhibition. All artists are urged to participate in the opening night. This is the artist’s best opportunity to meet with invitees to the art exhibition and discuss their form of art. Three of my sculptures were submitted as entries in the Dimensions 2013 sculpture show. The sculptures were all tall and considerably different from my single entry the year before. Each of the sculptures was mounted on its own plinth with adequate light for illumination. The reaction and interest my work generated throughout the show was high. Other sculptors also had their best and latest work on display that also garnered considerable interest. The regular patrons and visitors to this event look forward to it each year, as the work is fresh and exciting. Contacts were made and sales generated. As well, the dialogue between artists and the public was invaluable. The interaction with the public is tremendous and I enjoy answering questions and talking about my sculptural work and philosophy about art. Interest from the public of my sculptures and work inspired me to continue in this genre.

“Dimensions 2013” opening night, with my new series of sculptures © 2015 Marc Lavoie – Courtesy Marc Lavoie Photography

“Dimensions 2013” opening night, conversing with the mayor.

WOOD MICROSCOPY ☐☐ “Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture” Ken Robinson DURING THE YEAR 2013, I stumbled upon a different form of art. A televised documentary featured the analysis of organic structures performed through a microscope. The microscope was an expensive, high power laboratory quality model and the resulting images were astonishing. The organisms being examined were not live but thin slices extracted from common everyday plants found within our environment. Watching in amazement, spectacular abstract images were displayed through the lens of the microscope. In many cases, the images were photographed. Another characteristic of the microscopic images was the wide array of colors visible through the lens. With limited exposure to microscopes aside from a brief period in high school biology class, I watched and took mental notes. The scientists and biologists in the documentary were obviously professional, therefore making the process appear simple and straightforward. The random, abstract nature of the images fascinated me as thoughts raced through my mind of using this technique to create a new form of art. The genre of art could be considered micro-organic art. I was willing to invest some time into exploring the possibilities of this micro-organic genre of art. Through my background in technical research, the next logical step was to set some time aside to further explore this fascinating medium. Research into reasonably priced microscopes was next. The cost of the microscope was critical since investing considerable money into a piece of equipment I might later decide not to use was impractical. Having no access to the temporary use of a microscope, my only option was to purchase one. The timing of this newfound interest in micro-organic art was perfect as a new microscope model was introduced around this time. This microscope featured a powerful built-in camera as well as the standard turret style objective lens mounts. The

microscope was classified as professional level and the price was reasonable. I convinced myself at the time of the option to resell the microscope if the experiments were not satisfactory. Further research into microscopy reinforced my idea of exploring microorganic photography as a form of art. On a leap of faith, I proceeded to order the microscope, as it was a special order. Through the built-in camera, I would be able to directly photograph what was seen on the slides. There were questions, however. Was the camera powerful enough? Would I be able to successfully focus on the magnified image, as this was critical? Would the compositions be compelling enough to display as a form of art? How would the public react to micro-organic art? Would there be sufficient compositional difference between organisms to sustain this as a form of art? All these questions occupied my mind before taking delivery of the microscope. In the meantime, research continued on microscopy and the techniques used to accomplish it. Since high school biology class, I had no recollection of even preparing slides and would need to re-learn this process. Preparing slides and covering organic specimens with a cover glass was a process that involved some experimentation. Another necessary technique was how and when to use the different objective lenses. Despite many unknown variables facing me, I delved into microscopy. After receiving the new microscope along with prepared slides, the process began of learning how to view slides and photograph interesting organic compositions at the micro level. Over a period of days, a few hours each day were spent observing the prepared slides that were packaged with the microscope. I soon found there to be a technique of using the rotating objective lenses. Slides were first viewed at low power (4x), then a higher power was dialed in (10x), and finally the most powerful objective lense (60x) was used to magnify the organic specimen at full power. In certain cases, it was not necessary to use the highest power objective lense as the cellular specimen would completely fill the digital display. Once satisfied with the composition viewed on the digital display, a photo of it was snapped at the highest resolution. In many cases, a series of photos were necessary to obtain one with perfect focus. A series of colored filters could also be dialed in to change the colors viewed through the objective lenses. The combination of objective lenses and filters

provided a few versions of each composition. Over a few days, my comfort level increased with the process. The next logical step would be to create my own slides using wood as the organic material. During this experimental phase, research was also performed on the best organic specimens to view through the microscope. One of my criteria was not to have the composition appear to have originated from a microscope. Strange as it sounds, I was seeking an element of surprise when a person would view the image. Mentioning to the viewer afterwards that it was a photograph originating from a microscope was central to the success of this form of art. In other words, I did not want the image to immediately appear to have originated through a microscope lens. A short while later, a few glass slides of specimens under cover glass were prepared. The specimens were extremely razor-thin slices of different species of wood. The slices were placed between the glass slide and the cover glass. The addition of a very small drop of water created adhesion. The water would be placed at the edge of the cover glass and was drawn into the glass sandwich through capillary action. The process of creating these slides was largely trial and error with use of a few notes for guidance. Eventually, I began to master the process and it was then simply a matter of acquiring the best wood specimens to view through the viewfinder of the microscope. Acquiring exceptional specimens became the challenging component and it equated to panning for gold. It was critical to slice wood to exact transparent thicknesses, dependent on the opacity and color of the specimen. Some wood specimens were denser than others and thinner slices were then necessary. The thickness of each specimen slice determined how much light was let through. The light passing through determined the appeal of the composition. It was critical not to have thick specimens which obscured the light passing through.

“Tranquility 1”, 2013. Micro-organic art, abstract composition. Although the light level from the lamp beneath the slice was variable, too much light would wash out the composition and remove any detail. This effect was equivalent to overexposure in photography. I might come across as an expert in the subject now, but it was purely through trial and error that this process was learned. There were a few occasions when I almost gave up on this genre of art. It became frustrating at times to acquire a good composition worthy of a piece of art. The successful compositions were then enlarged and printed on to either canvas or paper. During this exploratory period, an investment was also made in a professional photo quality printer capable of accurately rendering colors. Printing of the art on to paper would also involve high quality archival papers. The inks in the printer were rated for 100-year longevity or greater, without fading when placed in an album. With exposure to light, even if this claim was halved, it would be archival in quality. In a gallery or home setting, the colors would last many decades before beginning to fade. The canvas versions of the prints were already archival in quality. This is due to the application of a coating after the print was transferred on to the canvas. The availability to offer the microscopy images in other media was not explored, as paper and canvas were the most common at the time. It was to be seen if the viewing public would accept this genre of art. A few intriguing, high-

quality images were then assembled into a small body of work. This was the very first step taken to introduce this form of art to the public. The initial body of work was printed on archival papers and mounted behind glass and then set in wood frames. The next step was to seek opportunities where this work could be exhibited. To begin promoting the work and acquiring feedback, a few of the images were included at my art web site. The very first opportunity at exhibiting this genre of art occurred in early fall of 2013. A large juried exhibition was held once a year through an established arts organization Arts Ottawa East AOE and the exhibition was Selections 2013. Two of the first micro-organic images acquired through the microscope were submitted. A few weeks later, notification arrived that the jury panel had selected one of these images for Selections 2013. A few high-quality images were also submitted to a fund-raising arts group exhibition, Timeraiser. A few weeks later confirmation was also received that the Timeraiser jury panel selected one of the images. Both these acceptances reaffirmed that this new genre of art was both appealing and exciting! I felt the micro-organic art had now been validated. At Timeraiser 2013, the print on canvas was auctioned off for time instead of money. In exchange for the art, the recipient of the art volunteered several hours over a period of one year to one of a list of official Timeraiser charities they subscribed to. The Selections 2013 exhibition was held in late September 2013.

“Tranquility”, 2013. Timeraiser exhibition winning submission The opening night was well attended and awards were handed out. Although my new microscopy artwork did not win an award, it drew considerable attention. Visitors to the exhibition were not sure if it was a photo of a painting or a digitally created work of art. It was neither of course, but was instead an image of an organic wood structure at the microscopic level. The exhibition was held for a period of four weeks from late September to midOctober. Positive feedback from this first exhibition of the microscopy genre of art encouraged me to continue with the exploratory phase. The Timeraiser 2013 fundraiser was held approximately two months later. The event opening was a spectacular, classy affair. The presentation of the juried art pieces was very impressive. The venue itself was a large national museum and the exhibition was held in one of the outer foyers. The juried art pieces were displayed and rotated through a large, overhead screen. Bidders had ample opportunity to select which piece they wished to volunteer time for. They could also volunteer for more than one piece, as it was unlikely they would win more than one bid. I was pleasantly surprised, more like euphoric, at the number of bids for my artwork, “Tranquility”.

”Wildfire”, 2013. Selections 2013 winning submission Later in the event, winners of the bids were announced. I had the opportunity to see who won my art piece. The winning bidder does not actually receive the art piece until a year later at the next event. During the coming year, the art is hung at one of the corporate offices of a financial contributor to Timeraiser. Over the next year, the winning bidders complete their volunteer hours at the designated charity and are then handed the artwork. I admire and support the concept of this fund-raising event. The artists whose work is selected are also paid for their work at an already established price, relieving considerable pressure about making a sale at the event. Being a part of this event was thoroughly enjoyable and I was extremely glad that my artwork would soon be hanging in someone’s home or office. During the final months of 2013, further exploration of this form of art occurred and more images of abstract, micro-organic art were gathered from slices of wood specimens. Notes were taken as I progressed, and organic specimens producing the best results were documented. The best glass slides were also kept aside and marked. Other glass slides that had questionable compositions were cleaned and reused. As the success rate of acquiring good micro-organic images

increased, the body of work of this genre would slowly expand.

“Fissure”, 2013. Micro-organic art, abstract composition. Over a period of weeks, the images increased in depth and complexity. Although the microscope art was intended to be abstract, compositions were also sought which could easily depict a representational image. At the time, I was convinced the appeal of this genre of art would increase if viewers saw familiar images. The number of slides were accumulating and as a result there were more available to draw from. Each organic specimen on a glass slide presented multiple possibilities of images. The specimens were not uniform in color, thickness or pattern. A thicker part of the specimen would obscure the light entering from under the microscope stage and return a different view than from another part of the same slide. An example of the compositions I was seeking can be seen in “Abyss” and “Vertigo”. Both these images contain the varied color tones and hues approaching that of art created through painting. Having an abstract image with ties to realism was a concept necessary to explore further. The images were also photographed through color filters. The filters added color and created a more vivid and delineated snapshot rather than a monochromatic one.

“Abyss”, 2013. Micro-organic art, abstract composition.

“Vertigo”, 2013. Micro-organic art, abstract composition. A wood specimen under a glass slide is initially damp. Drops of water are then applied for the glass cover plate to adhere to the underlying glass slide. The water is then absorbed by the specimen through capillary action. The specimen does eventually dry out. Images photographed from a damp or dry specimen can vary considerably in composition. It was important to photograph as many different images as possible while the specimen was in either a damp or dry state. Tremendous positive feedback was also received after posting the microscopy images on social media.

“Captive In Light”, 2013. Micro-organic art, abstract composition. An opportunity to be part of a large group exhibition at the recently created Lalande + Doyle Exhibition Space became available in the final weeks of 2013. Each artist selected would have access to a large wall space where upwards of 8-10 artworks could be hung. Since the body of work I had accumulated was sufficiently large, a proposal was drawn up and submitted to the jury for this exhibition. Within a few weeks, news was received that my entry was accepted. This was my third exhibition within months of this new genre of work.

For this exhibition, work began on assembling a dozen or so exceptional images of microscopy work. The images were then printed on special archival papers. Afterwards, the prints were mounted in a series of white frames that were uniform in size and cohesive in color and style, essentially using similar frames and matting throughout. It was important to not have the frames detract from the artwork. Since the frames were similar and uniform in size, the focus of the viewer would instead be on the artwork. A cohesive appearance of the entries was critical to the success of the series.

“Lalande + Doyle Exhibition Space” December 2013 Over a period of one week, visitors could view the art in the group exhibition. A few people left glowing compliments of my work and I met with several more people at the opening event. The exhibition was a great success and inspired me to further explore this form of art. This genre of art was a considerable departure for me as I had entered the same exhibition two years earlier with my wall-mounted wood art. My visual art progressed rapidly in these intervening years, where multiple genres and styles were being developed.

Within a few months following the Lalande + Doyle Exhibition, I revisited wood microscopy. In the intervening months, a return was made to furniture making along with creating wood art and sculpture. Although this kept me busy, I soon felt an urge to pursue microscopy further. An investment in a higher power microscope was made that provided the capability of attaching a camera directly to the eyepiece. Wood microscopy required me to delve much further into photography techniques than at any time in the past. As proficiency in my photographic skills developed, a higher performance camera was acquired. The new DSLR camera had higher quality, specialized macro lenses and the capability of higher resolution photos. This investment along with the upgraded microscope provided the motivation and incentive to further my research into photographing wood surfaces. Photographing wood grain was something I had longed to explore. The naturally organic and abstract compositions collected would provide a myriad of samples with which to add transparent, colored dye to. The possibilities were endless.

Large format print on canvas of a spalted wood sample image captured through macro photography. Colored dye added to enhance delineated areas between dark lines.

The addition of colored dye would bring out the subtle tones and hues in the woods. The woods selected for this exploratory phase would be diseased woods or spalted woods which had distinct, organic shapes delineated by dark lines. The dark lines and areas within would form abstract shapes. Soon I began to gather a few samples of decaying, diseased woods, specifically spalted wood. Spalted wood is an excellent example of how a wood-decay fungus can create a beautiful pattern along the surface of the wood. The diseased portion of the log manifests itself through colored areas delineated by black lines. It becomes critical to harvest these decaying, spalted logs within a certain period of time. Otherwise, the disease progresses to where the log is unsuitable for use in furniture. The strength of the wood will have been compromised by the fungus disease. The logs are sliced through and through to bring out the best patterns. My intention was to photograph the spalted wood at close range with a macro lense at high resolution. The high resolution would allow me to create large compositions showing the spalting detail.

Large format print on canvas of a spalted wood sample image captured through macro photography. Colored dye added to enhance delineated areas between dark lines.

The intention was to have hi-res images of these naturally abstract compositions transferred to canvas and then framed. This would be the continuum of my exploratory phase into wood art. After some trial and error and a significant amount of time invested into the development of macro photography techniques, I was able to create a few compositions of the abstract wood grain. The images were of such high resolution that transferring them onto large canvases would not cause any detail to be lost. This was the ultimate objective and it turned out perfectly. As part of the process, aniline or transparent colored dye was judiciously added to the surface of the wood to further enhance the colors of the decaying wood. Aniline dyes are ideal as they do not mask any of the wood, the dye is instead absorbed into the wood. A heavy pigment stain would instead destroy the aesthetic and create an opaque surface. The images shown on the two previous pages are reflective of this work and provide a sampling of what was captured. This exploration convinced me to delve further into this form of art. The common theme in both wood microscopy and macro photography of wood surfaces is wood grain and the structure of wood. I wanted to maintain that this direction involved highlighting the intrinsic beauty of wood both at a macro and at a micro level. Hopefully this would be fodder for an upcoming exhibition. As a multi-disciplinary artist with varied interests, time becomes a critical factor in achieving my goals. I have interest in sculpture, wood art, furniture design + build and most recently macro and micro photography of wood. Although the common thread is wood, the time and energy consumed in following each of these pursuits could easily overwhelm me. My takeaway is to make the most efficient use of our available time as artists. It is also necessary to determine which of these pursuits I am most passionate of while providing the best financial return. After all, keeping my doors open is my foremost priority. This is the dilemma I have been facing for a few years now; that of having several interests. Each of the interests demand large amounts of time and energy. Realizing that I cannot do it all, the question arises as to which of these varied interests to focus on? Which one comes next in the progression?

ART STYLES AND GENRES ☐☐ “The more you are blessed with experience, the fuller and the more enriched you are in your craft” Aishwarya Rai Bachchan AN ART STYLE IS an artist’s expression of creative voice, vision and emotion in their work. Style is also a combination of composition, form, technique and color. The term style is synonymous with artistic voice, these terms are often used interchangeably. The voice is the unique artistic style that is your own. It is composed of multiple elements including the medium, the substrate and the method through which an artist shapes or creates the art piece. After having created art for some time, the artist will have developed a recognizable style or voice, one which is easily associated with the artist. Some artists prefer to create in a single style whereas other artists will create in several styles. Whether the styles are all part of a similar art genre is at the artist’s discretion. Artists have the freedom to explore new styles and genres of art. Several leading artists of past centuries have created in multiple styles and genres. A few have also crossed disciplines into sculpture, ceramics, architecture and design. Reading about these artists was captivating as I also consider myself a multidisciplinary artist with work in sculpture, furniture, wood art and micro-photography. The styles of art I currently create work in can be viewed in the spirit of contemporary art. Through my exploratory period, I have come to embrace multiple styles within the contemporary genre of art. As an artist, my work has evolved through the creation of an ever-increasing body of work. However, my direction has remained constant. I have been drawn to contemporary art forms and have been pursuing this genre of art ever since. The evolution of an artist usually involves the embrace of more than one style and direction. A visual artist is characterized through the direction and styles pursued throughout their artistic career. An artist typically embraces a genre and style, and develops a body of work within the genre and style parameters.

The artist then evolves and optionally embraces another, different style or a variation of the style within a genre of art. It is perfectly fine as an artist, to work at multiple styles or to follow multiple directions, but focusing on one or two is a far better strategy for success. The validity and prospects of an artist are reinforced through a narrow focus of styles. Not being a planner at heart, contemporary art forms appeal to my character traits. I enjoy the spontaneity of starting with a wood blank and transferring my voice and emotion onto the wood blank through a series of hand tools. The constants are the wood blank, hand tools and methods of work. The variables are the subconscious emotion, the colors and mood. The years 2009-16 were a transitional period for me where both wood art and sculpting as art forms were embraced. Only a few short years ago, it would be unheard of me to contemplate creating art through my chosen medium of wood. Establishing myself as a wood artist and creating art with wood as a medium occurred over a few years. My reputation as a wood sculptor and wood artist would increase year over year. Significant bodies of both sculptural work and wood art were created over this period. Every opportunity was seized to show or exhibit my work. However, my vision of how to fit into the art world would be a moving target. Although still attached to creating furniture, the appeal of wood art and sculpture as a method to express my creativity was burgeoning. The process of designing and creating furniture could be lengthy, with multiple steps involved from selecting wood to finishing. Sculpting and wood art provided more instantaneous results where a sculpture or piece of wood art could be completed over a three to four-day period. Creating sculpture or wood art also involves less material costs in comparison to the expensive wood investment and large amount of time involved in furniture making. I could simply start over if the wood art or sculpture was found to be unsatisfactory or not appealing. This newfound creative freedom allowed me to instead focus on the form of my wood art and sculpture and not so much on the process of creating it. Moving away from function and towards form was a welcome breath of fresh air. In the transition to creating sculpture and wood art it became important to learn color theory, how to create dimensionally stable wood substrates and how to apply veneers to curved forms. It was also critical to learn how to

effectively apply finish without obscuring the wood figure. The creation of wood art and sculpture was also an acquired skill where emotion and subconscious thoughts were transferred to the wood. With wood art, a range of tools are available to work with wood as a medium. Chisels, scrapers and hand planes are all tools used to create sculptural work. The wood blanks I initially worked with were small but there would soon be a progression to larger sizes. It can be intimidating to work on a large wood blank with so much expanse of wood. It was instead easier in the early stages to develop sculptures on small blanks and to progress to larger blanks. Since wood is inherently a living organism, it behaves differently under different environmental conditions. Techniques of working with larger, less dimensionally stable wood blanks were necessary as I moved to larger sculptures. Techniques were also developed and learned over this period. How should a wood blank best be tackled? I soon realized that in contemporary work, organic forms better express the subconscious emotion. There should be a harmony of form and color in a composition to express emotion and mood. The skill of understanding how and where to apply translucent colored dye to wood became critical to the success of both my wood art and sculptural work. In contemporary art galleries, sculptural art often forms a component of available art. Today, many artists work in different mediums and art genres. This flexibility provides them diversity, enjoyment, and access to a larger available art market for their work. Other artists have instead chosen either sculptural work or a genre of fine art as their sole focus and perhaps create in a subgenre of this. It is reinforced in the art world for an artist to focus on a single genre and style of art. This raises the profile of the artist to their followers and collectors. In the eyes of gallery owners or gallerists, an artist’s appeal and validation are significantly raised if they create in one genre and even more so in one style. Style in art is the arrangement of forms and color in the composition. Style also includes technical execution in the creation of the art. By focusing on one genre and style, an artist has much more opportunity to develop the skills and techniques with which to master their chosen form of art.

Norman Pirollo, “Diamond Doublet”, 2010. Contemporary geometric sculpture with origins as a maquette. Mahogany. bubinga, metal. Demonstrates early work in the development of a unique style. In the evolution of my art career, both genres and styles have been in a transformative state. It was only within the past few years, as I developed my artistic voice, that my focus shifted to individual genres. Contemporary art and the subgenre of sculpture and wood art have become the focus of my recent art. The awareness of knowing that many, famous mid-20th century and contemporary artists had at some point in their careers moved from one genre of art to another was reassuring. In many cases, it is only in later life that an artist determines the style of art they are at peace with. When a carving knife or paint brush becomes an extension of an artist’s hand is when the artist can focus on their vision and not so much on the technical aspect of creating art. In the early stages of an artist’s exposure to a style of art, they sometimes imitate other artist’s work in that genre and style. This can be viewed as part of the growth of an artist. Imitation allows the artist to gain confidence and

move forward in establishing his or her own voice and style. The artist’s own voice and style will eventually surface as their vision, confidence and techniques improve. By following this progression, in my later work, various elements and styles have coalesced into a defined style. Research into the Contemporary art movement has informed the development of my own art style and voice. The exploratory process of developing a voice has helped me to grow and define myself as an artist. The “Eternal Flame”, “On Fire”, and “On Fire 1” sculptures were completed in the final months of the search for my own unique voice and style. Since I did not carry the baggage of working in other genres of art, I felt liberated in my quest to seek my own voice and art style. At times, the sheer volume of research necessary to pursue this was overwhelming. It became critical to understand the origins and development of the contemporary art movement within the context of previous art movements to fully comprehend its impact on the art world. My research timeline into art history was extended to previous periods of art to further understand the progression in the public’s taste for art. It is obvious that the visual art field has significantly evolved only in the past century. Prior to the Impressionist period of art (1870-1890), change in the art world was gradual.

Norman Pirollo, “Bowtie”, 2011. Contemporary sculpture with origins as a maquette. Pau Amarello, mahogany. metal. Demonstrates early work in the development of a unique style. Today, both complementary and dissimilar genres of objective and nonobjective art, sculptural work, wood art and photography-based art have been popularized. The visual art world today has diversified to include multiple genres of art. The viewing public has more compelling forms of art to select from than in past centuries. An understanding of contemporary art involves both the imagination and an open mind. When a person first views contemporary art, they ask “what is it about” or “what am I supposed to see”. These are fairly normal reactions. Aside from the formal elements of the artwork such as composition, colors, pattern and process; interpretation of the art is fundamental to understanding it. Several people can view a contemporary art piece and arrive at different conclusions to what they see in the art. There are relatively few recognizable objects in contemporary nonobjective art, except for perhaps lines, shapes, forms or color.

Norman Pirollo, “Silhouette”, 2011. Conceptual, contemporary wood sculpture. Wood and stone. Interpreting a combination of visual elements in the art then becomes an exercise in subjectiveness. Emotion is also a strong component in understanding contemporary art. The interaction of elements in a contemporary work of art can evoke certain emotions in a person. A narrative can also be articulated through a series of wood art pieces or contemporary sculptures. Through the development of contemporary art in the latter part of the 20th century, the viewing public has finally come to embrace nonobjective, conceptual and contemporary art as a viable and appealing form of

art. It is difficult to determine how much further conceptual art can be pushed or contemporary art can evolve. Every artist within the contemporary art genre brings his or her own, unique style. The current, large availability of unique styles and the possibility of more styles in the future ensures that contemporary art will continue to be an exciting and thriving genre of art. The advancement of conceptual art has also occurred in the latter part of the 20th century. Conceptual art is that where an idea takes precedence over the material and technical aspects of art creation. Conceptual art lends itself well to wood sculpture. An idea or narrative can be conveyed through a medium, in this case wood. The sculpture is shaped and formed to create a concept rather than a final object. The object is secondary to the concept. Mediums used in the creation of contemporary art are also evolving and growing. Combining of mediums has occurred over the past few years.

Norman Pirollo, “Harmony in Diversity”, 2010. Conceptual sculpture with curved elements, combining mahogany, maple and metal Wood, metal and glass are now combined into sculptural works of art to form fascinating organic and geometric compositions. The art world is also moving away from paint and canvas as the sole medium in the creation and dissemination of art. Forms of art incorporating multiple media have been developed where other mediums are either featured or presented as secondary mediums. Multiple mediums lend themselves well to the contemporary art genre by increasing its appeal. The combination of multiple mediums, also known as mixed media, demonstrates that contemporary art embraces change and adapts itself well to the contemporary art world. With success in the art world comes monotony. The public frequently seeks a new or novel form of art, typically after a current art movement has peaked. Each successive art movement in modern art was at one time considered avant-garde. Art movement labels can themselves be thought-provoking since they are not typically defined and labeled until the late stages of an art movement. When a genre of art plateaus and the art form become ubiquitous; it is only then that art critics attach a label to the movement. This has been the case with earlier art movements. The label was only defined and agreed upon in later years, when the art movement had become established with the viewing public, gallerists and critics. Reasons for this are many, but a prominent one is to discern an art movement from a passing fad. As an example, some art movements were short-lived and vanished whereas other movements prevailed and continued on for decades. Looking back at previous centuries in the context of art, the sheer number of art movements that proliferated can be seen. This reinforces the fact that new and unusual art forms and styles can be viewed as trend-setting. The style or trend often develops into an art movement. With this knowledge, it is not unconventional to develop or create a new trend in the hope of it becoming an established genre or style of art. Will wood art become a part of the larger contemporary art movement? Will contemporary wood art become established as a new, viable genre of art? Will the viewing public acknowledge wood as an art medium? Will the genre of contemporary wood art be short-lived or will it instead proliferate?

CONCLUSION ☐☐ “To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you” Tony Dorsett I HOPE YOU HAVE enjoyed this book and it has motivated and inspired you to move forward with your own artistic journey. The best years of my life have been while self-employed in a creative environment and most recently as a wood artist. Research into contemporary art and more specifically the genres of sculpture and wood art has significantly informed my current work. As well, the research has motivated me to move forward with my own art. Reading of the struggles and rewards of former artists and talking to current artists has provided me an understanding of the challenges artists experience during their art careers. The exploratory phase into contemporary art provided me with a clearer and deeper understanding of both art and the art world. I was enlightened to learn how artists weaved their character traits and individuality into their personal lives. This understanding would push me through my own struggles in pursuing a career in the visual arts. The author maintains a web site of his furniture designs, educational material, wood art and sculpture as well as chronicling news and updates from his studio at: http://www.pirollodesign.com

The cachet of international exposure is often coveted by artists. The opportunity to be profiled and to have my work showcased in the international publication Panoram Italia opened several doors and created new opportunities. The international stage enables an artist to serve a much wider global audience of viewers. Wood is revered throughout the world and manifests itself in multiple forms ranging from buildings to furniture down to everyday objects. Forming and shaping wood into functional objects is common throughout the world. Discovering and exploring art through wood in the form of unique wood art is my contribution to furthering the admiration and reverence for wood. Embracing wood as a form of wall-mounted art will hopefully further its longevity in a world steadily moving towards the use of

man-made materials in conventional forms.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR ☐☐ AS A WOOD ARTIST, Norman Pirollo discovered a passion for creativity at an early age. Following a career in the IT industry, he has since embraced his creative side and returned to his passion of creating unique contemporary forms of wood art and sculpture. Norman is self-taught in both the decorative arts and fine arts. He currently creates wood art in the contemporary art genre. The wood art and sculpture depict an abstract or conceptual vision and include important elements such as form, lines, curves and colors. Techniques used to create his wood art include selecting wood, shaping and forming the wood, and applying finish to create a compelling experience which draws the viewer in. Deep, rich vivid colors, wood figure, curves and intriguing compositions are featured in his contemporary wood art. Norman also enjoys working with microphotography techniques he developed to create new media art in unique, organic compositions. “I am intrigued by the intrinsic beauty of wood and the endless possibilities of shaping it into contemporary art forms. My work is informed through that of Contemporary artists and sculptors as well as artists in avant-garde movements. Wood art is a new genre of art to me. I seek out captivating and

intriguing compositions to create in my preferred medium of wood. The composition, vivid colors, wood figure, shapes and forms combine to create the final artwork.” -- Norman Pirollo, professional wood artist. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The artist and author, Norman Pirollo, outside his studio in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Norman's work has been featured in books such as "Studio Furniture: Today's Leading Woodworkers", "Wood Art Today 2", "500 Cabinets" “Rooted: Contemporary Studio Furniture”, “Ottawa Life”, “Panoram Italia”, “Fine Woodworking Magazine” as well as various international magazines. He is the recipient of numerous art awards. Norman has recently been selected as a finalist for the prestigious NICHE Awards as well as a finalist for the Art Trends Artist of the Year Award. He has recently authored and published

four books of his own. As an award-winning artist, his contemporary wood art and sculptural work can be viewed at www.pirollodesign.com. Norman currently resides and operates his wood art studio in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Logo and branding for the authors’ furniture design, sculpture and wood art studio. Above, an earlier logo for Refined Edge Design. Newer logo incorporating author’s surname below.