Cherry wave wall piece.

Had a full day in the workshop today playing around with ideas for a new wall piece. It was inspired by a sample i did for a project last year (below).

I used photocopies of the wood I would be using to create a full scale 2D version of the piece on paper, This really helped me see how to construct the piece and get a feel for what it would look like. I will be using this planning process for future pieces.

This is the stock wood i started with. An old piece of cherry riddled with woodworm.

 I set up the band saw with a jig/ fence to help keep the slices parallel. 

Here i am cutting the slices. VERY SLOWLY.

This is the end result once sliced. Uniform thickness, smooth cut slices. By cutting slowly with a sharp blade i was able to keep the cut marks straight and parallel with each other. This is important because it will be a feature in the final piece.

 The cut marks will be left in to contrast the flowing line cut through the center. They act as the formal, man made element in the piece.

Here are some detail shots of the woodworm holes after i sandblasted and cleaned them. This is the reason i chose this wood for this piece, it is natural sculpture in itself and creates something a little different. 

I am simply showing the effect of nature on the material over time.

 I am showcasing natures hidden qualities.

 I picked a route for the cut, crack, river, water, wave, root to take.

I followed this route as i cut.

Here's the final outcome once all the pieces were cut and spaced on a board. I wanted the split to start and finish (down to nothing each end) to resemble the cycle of life. The line echos the flow of nature.

The line cuts directly through everything and contrasts the surface textures, both natural (worm holes) and man made (saw marks).

I am now thinking about the finish of the edges inside the split. Burning or blackening in some way will create a bolder line making the piece look more crisp.

All that's left to do now is blacken the edges, oil and wax the pieces, fix it to the board and hang it. I am happy i revisited this idea and actually finished the piece. Its actually a piece that i could do a range of which is something i have never done before due to the nature of the material i use to create my work.