woodART
The work in this section represents the presentation of turned wood displayed on varied backgrounds that explores the aesthethic
relationships possible when “mankind meets nature.” The naturally occurring colors, shapes and textures of wood that can be
uncovered or found in dead and decaying trees in the forest are used in conjunction with lathe-turned sections, or pieces of wood.
The juxtaposition of these, combined with traditional art media in some instances, provides fertile gound to explore.
This process came about when I discovered that I was accumulating a lot wood pieces that weren’t suitable for turning, but
nonetheless they were appealing in their own right. Then I realized that when I was searching the forest for “dead and down”
trees that could be cut into turning blanks, there was a lot of spalted wood available that didn’t have enough density for turning,
but could be used in other ways. That’s how I got started, and the results are encouraging.
So, I’ve been slowly building up an inventory that explores ways natural wood “objects” could be juxtaposed with “mankind tooled”
wood, and to me at least, the results are worth the effort. In the last couple of years I have exhibited some of the work at the
Lapham Gallery in Glens Falls, New York, and at the Arts Center in Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Sometimes I refer to the
work as “rustic abstract,” although that isn’t quite right – the word rustic represents various meanings to many people.
I will attempt to rotate at least some of the images here on a monthly basis. Most of the wood used has been harvested from
dead, or storm-downed trees on our property here in upstate New York.
Back To Square One
Materials: Spalted maple, maple and acrylicSize: 16” x15” x 1 ½” thick
Date: 2007
Price: $200
The spalted maple section was cut from a long-dead/decaying tree and then coated/treated with epoxy
glaze, the maple square was dyed, and then textured with stippled acrylics.
Black On Beech
Materials: Spalted beech, mapleSize: 18” x 19” x 2” thick
Date: 2008
Price: $225
The beech section was cut from a decaying tree on the forest floor, the maple square was turned, then
analine dye applied as well as acrylic paint.
Triad
Materials: Birch bark, mapleSize: 16 ½” triangle x 1 ¼” thick
Date: 2008
Price: $125
The birch bark was stripped from a standing dead tree, the maple was turned, cut and drilled.
Triple Double
Materials: Balsam fir bark, spalted maple, pine and vinyl insertsSize: 16 ½” x 21” x 2” thick
Date: 2008
Price: $175 (SOLD)
The bark was stripped from a dead balsum, the spalted maple sections were turned, the horizontal bar
was made from pine and painted with acrylic, and the holes drilled have vinyl inserts purchased at a local hardware store.
Calkins Pine Ensemble
Materials: Northern white pine, and mapleSize: 32” x 27” x 4” thick
Date: 2009
Price: $300
The pine tree section was given to me by a local acquaintance; cut from a large tree section on their property.
It was sectioned to cut out splits/checks then reassembled on a frame made with maple that I cut and shaped.
The turned square was a left over piece from the same tree.
GreenBack
Materials: Pine, spalted mapleSize: 15 ½” square x 1 ½” thick
Date: 2008
Price: $125
The panel backing has machined grooves with graduated spacing, it was painted with acrylics,
the spalted maple tree section was turned and varnished.
SixPack
Materials: Maple, black cherry burlSize: !6” x 24” x 2” thick
Date: 2009
Price: $250 (SOLD)
The background is panel - textured and painted with acrylics,four of the turned squares are from 2 different,
spalted maple sections, 2 squares are cherry burl.
Black On Maple
Materials: Plywood panel, spalted maple, mapleSize: 16” x 20” x 1” thick
Date: 2008
Price: $150
The panel was painted with acryic, the maple section has 20-25 coats of varnish (it really soaked it in)
the maple was turned, painted with acrylic and drilled.
DoubleDown
Materials: Cementboard backing, spalted mapleSize: 14” x 17” x 1 ¼” thick
Date: 2007
Price: $150 (SOLD)
The background was painted with acrylics, the maple sections were turned then cut, reassembled and varnished.
Triple Deal
Materials: Spalted maple and pine bark
Size: 12" x 30" x 2" thick
Date: 2009
Price: $190
The pine bark was stripped from a standing dead tree, flattened and mounted to a plywood panel - and varnished. The spalted
maple was cut from a fairly punky dead maple tree, sized, squared and turned then varnished.
