Booth 724
(See map below)
About the Artist
My one driving ambition in my work is to respect the work of nature in pieces of wood by revealing its beauty with a shape and finish that reveals nature’s activity in the piece. My search for wood is where the process begins. I harvest from downed trees so I have a wealth of wood to choose from that most would view as nothing more than firewood. Trees are down everywhere from storms, land clearing, and tree services that are removing trees that are a danger to houses, etc... When I find these trees they are in various stages of the decomposition process. The process of decay is an artistic process in its own right. As soon as a tree is down, nature works at returning that tree to the dirt it sprang up from. This work creates artistic elements than cannot be mimicked by humans in any credible competition. Colonies of fungi and various beetles in their larval and fully mature forms find a home in fallen trees. Depending on the type of wood I find, I can look for various forms of natures decomposition at work in the wood. Some woods carry a lot of intrinsic beauty due to the color, grain patterns, etc. Others are relatively bland, but through decay, become a canvas where nature’s recycling art explodes in design and color. My desire, as an artist, is much less creative and much more revelatory. I want to reveal the beauty that is either intrinsic to the wood, or part of the decomposition process with a form and finish that respects the beauty. Lives and works in Acworth, GA.