Creating these functional art sculptures is very rewarding, we have your moments of frustration but also many moments of great victory. Our emotions are like a roller coaster and are poured into every grain of the wood as we sand, polish and bring to life these one of a kind masterpieces. Even though we have been wood artists going on six years now, we still have our moments of doubt, doubt if we have the ability to create and put together the heirloom furniture. Then we have to take a step back and find our confidence and know that we can do this.
When we are creating these pieces, there are moments when we over think and over complicate the process. We have to let the wood speak to us and show us what it is meant to be, instead of forcing it to be something that it is not. When you let be what it is, then we know you will have something dramatic, poetic, fluid and yet peaceful.
The beauty of the wood speaks for itself, every piece that we uncover and find the hidden beauty has a story to tell. Each one of use will interpret the story differently, but yet, there is still a story there. You may have your juniper coffee table, redwood dining table or juniper floor lamp in your home and have your story, the story of how you decided to just had to have that item, how it jumper out at you and spoke to you. One that you stand around with your family and friends discussing the movements and dimensions.
You may tell the story of you had that piece custom made just for you, how you were able to choose the specific pieces of wood to create this piece of art. About the emails you received as the item was being created and was able to watch it come to life. As you describe this piece you will tell of the emotions you felt; maybe the uncertainty of how it would all come together or the complete pride and joy you felt when it arrived in the crate on your door step.
We have our stories as well, our story may be about the family outing we had when we found the piece of wood, while the kids were chasing lizards and the dogs chasing ground squirrels. There may be days when the weather is hot and stifling and the gnats are buzzing around your ears. Or days when we can look down on our little town and see the river lazily flowing through it, the clouds are blindingly white against the blue backdrop of the sky. We can hear the wind whispering through the trees as the twisted limbs are reaching out to us wanting us to bring out their beauty.
There are also the stories of "quick" wood cutting trips, ones that should only take a couple of hours but turn into all day outings. We might find a large knotted stump in the ground on a steep hillside, if we don't cut it just right it could roll to the bottom and be stuck in the bottom of the ravine. Stumps that take all of mine and Tim's strength to roll and lift and push to the trailer so we can bring it home.
Another story I have is of a time that a table lamp literally had my blood sweat and tears in it. It's one of the klutzy stories but a story none the less. I was sanding on this lamp with a mechanical sander, it was one that you could lock it so that it would stay on. I had the wood in my lap, I was wearing a loose shirt.. and the sander got a bit close to the shirt, got wound of tight in my shirt, so tight is was pinching my chest. Tim comes over, trying not to laugh and helps me get untangled. I have to admit it as careless and there was a voice in my head telling me to sand the wood on the bench, not my lap.
Anyway, I start sanding again, I put the wood in my lap again.... I was sanding with one hand and holding the wood with the other. I thought it would be easier to hold the wood with my legs and use both hands to sand so that my arm would not get tired. You would think I would have learned the first time around, but no... being the stubborn person that I am, I decided what the heck it won't happen again. Yeah, right. This time the sander grabs so fast it pulls out of my hands, flipping and turning into my shirt and in a split second the handle comes around and smacks me in the nose. I was a bit dazed... blood was running out of nose, all over everything. Tim comes back over and helps we out again.
This time was I done working in the shop for a few house. My nose hurt, throbbed and ached. it hurt so bad that even the roof of my mouth hurt. I am very relieved I did not break my nose or have a few black eyes. I did however, have that little aching reminder to sand on the bench and not on my lap.
The stories that we have or the ones that we see in these beautiful sculptures, make them all the more priceless. They make great heirlooms and conversation pieces. These one of a kind juniper creations have a story to tell, and they want to tell them to you. To have you open your mind and eyes and listen to their stories....
Once in a while we will work on a project that is very hard to let go, once that makes you so proud you want to burst, yet happy to see it go because you want to share it with the new owner.
