Studio journal
Notes from the bench on how found timber becomes finished wooden sculpture, from the first read of the grain through shaping, finishing, photography, and display.
Choose timber with enough character to guide the form.
Carve and refine the silhouette in small, visible passes.
Seal, photograph, and prepare the work for display.
Studio Notes
Each piece starts with the timber already in hand. Checks, knots, grain direction, weight, and natural movement decide where the form wants to open and where it needs to stay quiet.
The early drawings are loose and practical: a few profile lines, a note on balance, and a front face that can hold the strongest grain. The aim is to keep the material recognizable while giving the finished work a clear silhouette.
Bench Work
The front panel is treated as the main read of the sculpture. It needs enough movement to reward close viewing, but it also has to work from across a room.
Most of the decision-making happens in small passes: remove a little, step back, rotate the work, then refine the line again. Edges are softened only after the larger mass feels settled.
Finishing
Finish is chosen to support the wood type rather than cover it. The surface needs to feel complete without losing the marks and variation that make the material worth using.
After the finish cures, each work is photographed squarely for the listing gallery and checked against the physical piece. The printed card beside the work keeps the same hierarchy as the online tile.