Well we made it, 2019, and while I wish I could say I was well on track to accomplishing a list of resolutions, my real focus these past weeks in the shop have been all about having fun!
After the holiday rush, filling orders for people looking for beautiful Christmas gifts, I have decided that January will be all about the projects I was putting on the back burner while deadlined projects needed to be completed. Don't get me wrong, frames have been made and going out on time, but I've also carved out some time for some neat creative projects!
One of my favourite parts of what I do is the reusing and recycling of the wood I have access to. In Ontario, when a tree has to come down due to being dead, or it falls in a storm, wood pickers are able to get their hands on some truly unique pieces of wood. No longer are viable healthy trees cut down for bespoke furniture and that makes me proud of what I get to work with. I've picked up this stunning cookie slice of beautiful maple to make a coffee table with. The best part was I had a vision without a client, and since posting about it, this soon to be coffee table has found a client (a great repeat client at that) and now the work on finishing it begins! The project isn't complete but I thought I would share some of the early progress on it!
All of the outer bark had to be chipped away very carefully and sanded smooth. Next came a rich black epoxy pour into the cracks to seal it up. It's currently off being planed to a beautiful sanded finish before I add the legs that will be fabricated. True to my process, the client has full control over the design of the legs which we are working on!
I've also worked on a massive beam bench that was hand hewn from a 12" beam! This massive beam took a lot of careful cleaning, some light sanding and will adorn a clients home for many years to come!
One of my favourite new projects I'm working on is a vertical spalted maple mirror. I had a number of inquiries about the other huge spalted maple mirrors that were made horizontally https://www.rusticworks.ca/available-to-purchase, and whether I would ever do any vertical ones. Since this is my creative time, I figured that would be a great project for January!
This mirror will, like the coffee table, be a work in progress for a couple weeks. I get asked a lot how much work needs to go into some of these pieces and my answer is it all depends! A mirror like this, with that large header piece has a ton of little holes and nooks that debris likes to pack into so I will spend a number of hours working on cleaning those out with my dental tools! Once it's clean I will assemble it all before having my mirror supplier professionally install the mirror glass.
With all these creative projects on the go, the last thing I want to highlight is that regardless of what I am working on in my own creative space, my clients quotes, work and visions all come first. Do you have a space in your house that has always felt too blank, too boring or just needs something new? You'd be surprised what a beautiful beam mirror or barn board mirror can do for a space to brighten it up. Maybe you've had that family heirloom tucked away in a box for years collecting dust. Let's get it in a frame and show it to the world! My favourite projects are ones that mean something to the client. Let's create something unique and truly local for your home or business!
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