I continually customise tools to probe my excitement of personal boundaries, as fresh ideas are born to explore the possibilities to reuse these organic treasures.
Our sculptural techniques making coffee tables have improved during the 15 years this apprenticeship has evolved, and now wood forks weighing 1200kg or more are sculpted away so that two people can carry them, or one person can nudge them around the lounge room. As you can imagine, the grain in large wood forks are interlocked, or what others call fiddle back, compression timber, knotty, birds eye, wavy, some of my Camphor Laurel coffee tables have all of the above. After years the grain striation becomes more appealing as the large surface area of these coffee tables is harmonious in its expressing the natural subtle forces still present inside the wood. I have dutifully flattened the surface of all my tables only to find that the striating cannot be tamed, now I desire the natural phenomenon of the sculptural relief.
Sculpted coffee tables Original designs relieved from natural wood
Their raw beauty, colours, size and durability have inspired me to sculpt from them design furniture that has to be individually imagined for each of these majestic medium. I physically and mentally roll them around trying to discover how to best express their natural features. Flashes of new designs are sketched so when a future log is viewed, references are available to better recall inspiration that had previously jogged my mojo. The top cut is an exciting commitment that binds all following processes, so the initial study must be comprehensive. The base cut is then made parallel with the top cut and thirdly, very heavy wood turning is followed by sculpting away excess weight to the selected design sketch.
A few tables have been created by the base being cut first, then the top follows suit. Blue Gum 32 shown above, was made base first to use the small branch fork as a short leg. The bulk of material was wood turned away then final sculpting to reduce weight, release tensions and refine to completion. The glass peephole replaced a small branch deformity. I love it.
