How would you describe your process?
My business is infusing art into the ordinary. Ordinary wood, ordinary junk, antique and vintage items that don’t have a lot of inherent value on their own. I give them an artful new life by transforming them into wall art, sculptures and furniture. I see art in the commonplace, handcrafted, durable items of the past, and also using materials already given to us in nature. While also necessary, I prefer not to contribute to expending additional resources to mass manufacture more throwaway items.
Since 2016, my business has evolved and grown as I have learned new skills and developed new, creative ideas. Initially I mostly rescued old wooden shipping crates and boxes and library card catalogs and made them into one-of-a-kind furniture. In 2018, I started working with live edge wood and epoxy resin. I despise symmetry, and something about natural wood and their unpredictable edges and spontaneity really speaks to me. In 2020, I researched and built a fractal wood burning tool.
Fractal burning occurs when a conductive solution is applied to the wood and then electricity is introduced via 2 electrodes wired from a transformer (microwave). As the current tries to connect, the high voltage burns river like patterns into the wood. (It was extremely important to me to research this process entirely before attempting to do it since it can be very dangerous) I love the unpredictability of the electrical current as it travels. Like fingerprints or snowflakes, each design is unrepeatable. I also decided to add color to the burn designs with epoxy resin. Often I don’t know what it will become until I am finished – I follow whatever creative ideas come to me.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
My favorite thing is the spontaneous adventures I embark on to find raw materials. For example, I spent a week along the Oregon coast, collecting shells, stones and driftwood. I also spent a weekend on the Florida coast, collecting shells. Sometimes the waves would wash up the perfect one, right in front of me. Each piece that I collect has its own mysterious story before finding me, and I’m just there to continue the tale.
If you could go anywhere to forage, where would you go?
I would go back and explore the Pacific Northwest. The landscape, climate and colors in nature are just incredible, and I’ve only just scratched the surface. Maybe I’ll even find Bigfoot!
How does transformation play a part in your process?
Infusing art into the ordinary IS transformation. I get so much satisfaction out of seeing something headed for the burn pile become a work of art that someone can enjoy.
How do you build community with your business?
One of the best parts about my business is the people I meet. I spend a lot of time here in VA, eating local, drinking local and shopping local small businesses. I look for ways to collaborate with other small business owners. I have had several great personal and business relationships occur entirely randomly, solely because I initiated a conversation. I also strive to buy almost all my raw materials from other small businesses. I believe art is a way to communicate without words. In our current negative economic/social/political environment, I want the voice of my business to be a positive platform that conveys peace, kindness, creativity and joy.
