"Seascape"

Most of my work is more traditional in nature, especially the American Federal Period style, but in this case, the wood told me what it wanted to be. The back of this display shelf is spalted sycamore and the spalting lines reminded me of a coastal scene, with cliffs and caves and clouds above the horizon.
Attachment 230908

The shelf is ambrosia maple where the grain is evocative of the rippling sands of a beach at low tide, complete with the breather holes of the clams hidden below the surface.
Attachment 230909

The two small drawers are faced with walnut burl, the dark swirling surface indicative of the hidden beauty in the depths of the ocean... Well, at least that is what I saw in the woods selected for this work. The finish is many coats of shellac rubbed to a gloss finish. Interiors of the drawers are curly maple, with Spanish cedar bottoms.
The unit measures about 3' in length and is mounted to the wall from inside each of the drawers.

It is part of an exhibition titled "In The Grain" which opens this afternoon at The Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Gardens in Concord, NH and the exhibit runs through mid-August. If you are in the area, stop by and see it, and give me a shout and we can probably spend some time in the workshop as well. You can find the Gallery website via Google, and I have a few more pictures of the piece on my website as well.

Roger

What a wonderfully simple-lined and elegant piece. Your choice of shape and drawer position relationship really acts as a stage for that very active and "seascape" looking backboard. Great mounting solution for a firm and concealed fit. Very cool.

Roger that is fantastic!!! do you have any more photos of the overall piece??

Thanks Glenn and Jeff....
Jeff, if you go to my website (click the link in my signature) and there are five pics there...
Roger

Roger, your craftsmanship and execution are excellent. Mother Nature did a beautiful job as well!

Great showcase piece for the wood. How do you open the drawers, I don't see any pulls?

Edit, I see the pulls on the pictures on your web site.

Thanks for the kind comments....yes Richard, the pulls are deliberately understated...turned from ebony, they are designed so as to not detract from the burl. Even up close in person, they can be hard to spot, even though they are 1/4" in diameter.
Roger

Very nicely done my friend. I couldn't quite picture what you were talking about when I saw the wood a few weeks ago.

On the other hand, clams, breathing holes, rippling sand grains? I thought you told me you were going to stop taking that stuff.:D

I love it when you have the freedom and the courage to let the grain tell you where you are going. Well done!

Stunning work!

Looks like it was painted, Roger! Excellent job allowing the piece to take you along where it wanted to go. :)

Thanks for the comments guys...it is always good to get feedback when venturing in unfamiliar territory....
Dave - Red wine can do that to a person, especially the California Cabernets...brings out the "artsy" part of me :)

stunning work...scratch that....stunning ART. I'm not too far away in vermont. i'm going to try to swing by this summer to see that exhibit, thanks for the info.

That's really wonderful...and you did right by letting the wood speak.