Snippet * 28  BLOCK Play

By

Divya Agrawal 

Alphabet inspired wooden blocks by Lena Mühl. Birds perched atop As and snuggled in Vs. 

A very simple and imaginative block set for kids offering a promise of tireless playtime.

Text & creative layout copyrights: On the Design Boat  ( www.onthedesignboat.com )

N a r r a t i v e s    i n    W o o d

By

Divya Agrawal 

 

 

Nature continues to fascinate me. More than ever now, with both my little ones taking keen interest in all things natural around them - flowers, bird songs, leaves and trees. The other day, the peeling brown bark of a palm tree that resembled gunny bag fabric was a world of wonder to them, and me. 

Elements of nature are unique, in their texture, feel and appearance. The differences may be subtle, but each piece of wood carries a story, is a witness to many events that you or I may not have touched upon. Our featured artist today, Marc Bourlier is an Artist and Sculptor based in France who works with driftwood and linen thread to create narratives in wood.

Look closely and you can interpret a story in each sculpture.

"A person is a person, no matter how small" says Dr. Suess. So true, for much like the colony/ society of any living species, every figure has a unique and indispensable place in each of Marc's compositions. 

 

The faces immediately strike you - gnarled, withered, some stoic others filled with wonder. 

Marc deftly uses his material of choice and exploits its qualities to the fullest to create variations required for these narratives.

Tall and short, leaning in, forlorn, together - a composite expression created through placement of figures.

Marc's work is also a showcase of the multitude of expressions possible using a single medium and vocabulary.

I was reading Roald Dahl's 'The BFG' the other day (Yes, on my daughter's insistence!) and some of these sculptures reminded me of the story of Sophie and the friendly Giant :) Is the Giant carrying the humans to safety, or has he already gobbled them up? Is it hope that towers above all; is it love that keeps us going and binds us together? Are we a small part of the very large Universe, and, Nature encompasses all? One can interpret these sculptures to mean so much..

As I, as an artist, continue to explore human behavior and linked patterns, I find Marc's work very interesting. These sculptures offer a peep into individual traits while being portrayed as a group. There are individuals that stand out, or,  there may be one that determines the direction of the rest. Some seem to dominate, at other places lead. And then there are pieces where one finds a multitude of personalities, yet, it appears to be an ordinary 'group'.

The pieces above portray family / community for sure - together in a shelter, shared emotions and resources.

 

I have fallen in love with Marc Bourlier's Art and skill - of putting together pieces of driftwood to create sculpture that grips you, forces you to think, introspect and marvel. Hope you too share some of these emotions :)

Images: Marc Bourlier

 

Text & creative layout copyrights: On the Design Boat  ( www.onthedesignboat.com ) 

 

"Like" our facebook page & stay connected with us

Melodies in WOOD

 by Divya Agrawal

Artists forge a deep bond with the materials they work with. These materials often inspire and shape their Art. 

For Greg Klassen, today's featured artist, wood is the chosen medium. Using reclaimed wood, Greg creates furniture that can be called a 'labor of love'.

 

 

The "River Collection" featuring tables with hand cut glass was my first introduction to this very imaginative, in love with nature, artist's work. And I haven't stopped looking at these meandering water bodies since.. 

What can be more beautiful than incorporating discarded natural materials to create functional and highly aesthetic objects? 

All the wood used to make furniture is sourced from within a 30-mile radius of Greg's studio in Lynden, Washington. Working on one piece at a time, he works with a combination of hand and machine techniques to smooth, mold and polish slabs of wood. Natural disruptions in the wood surface are bridged with blue color hand cut glass.

"My inspiration comes from the beautiful Pacific Northwest and the trees that grow here. No two trees are the same just as no two pieces are that I make from them....

It’s important to me that the “fingerprints” of the craftsman are on each piece I make. I try to marry the natural beauty of the wood with the skilled craftsmanship of the maker. When the two come together, a piece can really sing!" Greg Klassen

The natural edges, grain and rings in the wood, all remind one of the beauty in Nature, and, it's enormity... I will forever cherish the moment I stood next to a section of a redwood trunk, taller than me, at the Ontario Science Centre in Canada. Trying to count the number of rings on that piece of nature I felt so humbled, and, young ;)

With the natural features of wood visible, each piece created by Greg Klassen is as unique as the tree that the wood came from.

The plain wood tables and other items are equally stunning for their design and detailing, and, of course the look.

"...My pieces are handmade, in the truest sense of the word.  I make one piece at a time and give it my full attention, starting with a tree and ending up with functional art.  I love the idea of taking a discarded tree and giving it new life.  I think the natural world is beautiful, and I love what I do."  

I love the idea of having 'rivers in wood' up on a wall (as above - sculpture). The chopping board and note block below are also noteworthy for their raw simplicity.

Greg Klassen's work is evocative and simple, yet grand, for it celebrates Nature the way it is.  

A pointer to acknowledge and treasure the beauty surrounding us and to minimize and reuse!

All images: Copyright Greg Klassen

Text & creative layout copyrights: On the Design Boat   

"Like" our facebook page & stay connected with On the Design Boat

Snippet * 23    " Maps, Below the Boat "

By Divya Agrawal

One look and these minutely detailed wood cut charts reminded me of the similarly detailed contour maps we use for architectural projects. The only difference being that these are bathymetric* charts, laser cut in birch, hand colored and glued to create 3-D pieces ready to adorn a wall. 

These "Below the Boat" maps are simply stunning. The detail lover in me couldn't help but sigh longingly at each beauty on their website.

Straits of Mackinac

"...The point of art is to reveal something or excite some sort of emotion or wonder. So this art basically peels back the water and allows you to see the under appreciated world beneath the surface." Robbie Johnson, Below the Boat  via tested.com

Left: Miami;  Right: Manhattan

* Bathymetry - Underwater equivalent of topography

 All images: Below the Boat

TURN TURN TURN

Text: Hina Nitesh

Delicate and fragile are not the emotions one feels when the material in question is wood. 

However, one look at Joey Richardson's work will have you thinking otherwise.

The simple act of turning wood on lathe can result in breathtakingly beautiful pieces. I would not have believed this for myself had I not seen some exquisite pieces handmade by the lady who is the subject of my post for today. 

Joey Richardson is a professional turner who wears many hats. She is a mother and a housewife apart from pursuing her love for wood as a full time turner (I didn't even know about a profession like this but it is making a resurgence in the UK and the US). 

For Joey, making things with her own hands came naturally as she was growing up on a farm in Lincolnshire, England. There was plenty of wood on the farm from which she would fashion wooden jumps for ponies. The love for wood working took a back seat when she went to an all girls school.

Years later, she met with an accident which made her think about wood work that she had enjoyed while growing up. She joined an adult education general wood working class. Here she was fascinated by the idea of turning wood. It was a quick process and one could see the forms emerging almost immediately. She hit a roadblock when the class stopped due to funding issues.

Opportunity knocked again a few years later and she joined another turning and carving class run by Chris Stott. It was here that she rediscovered her love for turning. Another accident resulted in a cut finger (which could be saved) and became a turning point in her life. She won a prize at the International Show at Wembley proving to herself and to anyone who doubted her, what she was capable of.

A chance look at the work of another master craftsman, Binh Pho, proved inspiring. Through him she added piercing, texturing, colouring etc to her portfolio. About his influence on her work she says, "He opened my eyes to new horizons; he showed me how to focus all my ideas, feelings and enthusiasm into creating what I now feel are art forms which reflect my inner self. Inspiration grew as I spent time with Binh Pho; I learned to refine my traditional methods and to add new, innovative techniques: piercing, colour, carving and texture." (courtesy http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com)

Joey who describes her work as 'therapeutic', finds inspiration from the nature. Each and every piece made by her is a collector's item. Her love for detailing echoes in her pieces which are a perfect combination of both turning and piercing. Though she has come a long way from the little girl in the farm there is a clear influence of nature from her farm days in her work.

The flora, the fauna and everything else that she sees around her come, her children' dreams and aspirations, places she visits – all come alive in her pieces. For her each piece is unique and has a story to tell of some happy moments of her life. She also uses colours in her work but does not let them over power the essence of the piece. In fact it is a delicate balance that she maintains with piercing, turning and colours. Each piece has an organic form with gentle curves that seem to flow effortlessly. There is a certain femininity (if I may say so without sounding biased) in her work because of which she handles the material with such sensitivity that it creates such beautiful and delicate pieces.

To sum up, it would be apt to quote Joey: 'For too long wood has played a supportive role to art in the form of canvas, paper and frames. Let wood now speak for itself.'(www.joeyrichardson.com)

I had a tough time deciding which works to feature here. Log onto her webpage and see the entire portfolio for yourself.

                                                                                          All images: Joey Richardson

Text & creative layout copyrights: Onthedesignboat   

"Like" our facebook page & stay connected with On the Design Boat  

S n i p p e t * 16       W i n d o w   t o   m y   W o r l d

Text: Divya Agrawal

Snippets have been OTDB's design filled treats to our readers. 

After a year of bringing 'snippety' design from around the world to you, we've decided to expand the scope to include visuals that let you a peak into our, Divya and Hina's world!

The first in this series :)

 

A circular fenestration offers many possibilities, especially when it is a 5 feet diameter! 

After toying with the idea of a stained glass panel, I designed this window to hold my collection of ceramics, created over many years, and, books.

One of my favorite look-outs in our abode and the one that inspires me to draw, paint, design and create more!

Image: Divya Agrawal