Process

In the beginning, there is only one piece of wood and a thought. Sometimes I look for a piece of wood suitable for the idea, sometimes the idea comes from the piece of wood itself. Woodworking starts from sawing; the idea takes shape in the wood. Thereafter, I pick up the chisels and knives.

If you carve away a chip, it’s gone – you cannot get it back. Therefore, it is best to really concentrate. Also, the razor-sharp tools encourage you to do so.

The surface of the final form is treated tens of times with natural oils mixed with resins and waxes. Extra oil is removed after each layer to keep the layers as thin as possible. Each layer requires its own time drying. Therefore, it may take weeks before the last layer is added. Lastly, the item is polished. This gives it a typical soft surface, where the essence of a tree is exposed.

The last step: polishing the item with a soft cloth. At this stage, it’s determined whether the item is finished or not. It’s been weeks – sometimes months during which the work has been sandpapered for tens of times and dozens of surface layers have been laid. The object in my hands in not a raw piece of wood anymore. Much material has been removed, but something new has been exposed – the soul of this tree.

Time for goodbye.