Wood

Craft? Art? Or both perhaps. Man's oldest medium. When did the form of wood objects and their texture, utility and our sensitivity to the natural beauty of the material lead to deliberate artistic expression?

Jane Markham mountainexotics.com

We take native California hardwoods destined for decay and destruction and create heirloom art pieces to be used and enjoyed for generations to come. Wonderful walnut was once burnt in the orchard, but we salvage the marble-cake English and French, and undulating waves of fiddleback black walnut burls to produce beautiful yet functional coffee table/benches, boxes, lamps, and accessories. We take logs and burls, chain saw them into slabs which we seal and air dry for months to years. The creation of individual pieces is based on grain features: "we let the wood speak," forming these boards into tables with flowing patterns, as well as boxes and vases out of spalted big-leaf maple and madrone.. We don't just buy lumber to make our products; instead each component is molded into a one of a kind art piece. We are carrying on Sandy Markham's vision & passion for art & good woods.

Jerry Hall jerryhallstudio.com

I am passionate about reclaiming and re-expressing woods from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the urban forest and farm woodlands of the Sacramento River Valley. The sparse alpine regions with granite sculpture and 10,000 year old glacial polish and striations inform the objects that come out of my studio. The bark and gnarly, worn trees of that harsh environment inspire my designs. The wood showcases natural embellishments such as voids, bark and branch inclusions, and the soft undulating texture that results as the cells dry and retreat.

Phil Bauer buyphilcraft@gmail.com

A lifetime fascination for working with wood has propelled Phil toward his current passion for segmented turning. During recent years Phil has honed his woodworking skills to produce stunning turnings with exotic woods using diverse techniques.

Bowls, urns and vessels containing anywhere from 80 to 700+ pieces are created out of a variety of exotic and native woods including rock maple, ash, cherry, walnut, menge, Bolivian rosewood, African mahogany, padauk, jatoba, purple heart and blood wood, utilizing patterns including Indian blanket, diamonds, basket-weave, staggered segments, Grecian design and trees.