Rustic elegance and natural style
Growing up in rural southwestern Pennsylvania in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains surrounded by farm fields and forest, I became interested in trees at an early age. I learned to distinguish between species by the leaves, nuts or fruits and eventually, even the leafless trunks of winter.
As a biology major in college, I studied dendrology (the scientific study of trees), plant biology and plant physiology with an aim toward an eventual career in forestry. But as they so often do, things happened along the way to change the course I had chosen for myself. However my love of trees and the natural world continued.
My Dad was an accomplished woodworker and a talented tole painter in what little spare time he had and he helped foster my interest in woodworking. As I gained experience in the technical aspects of the craft, I also began to recognize and marvel at the wonderful variations among different species of wood. Armed with a few power and hand tools, I began cutting up pieces of logs and rough-cut lumber of all types. At the time I had no idea what I'd do with them I just enjoyed revealing the beauty waiting inside each piece of wood. Eventually, I began using them to make candleholders, shelves, towel racks and coat racks, many of which became gifts for family and friends. Finally, I began building furniture with all the beautiful pieces of wood I had been hoarding. Although I couldn't paint like my father if my life depended on it, I discovered I had artistic talents of my own.
I enjoy every aspect of my work, from searching for beautiful logs and lumber in wood lots, sawmills and old barns to seeing that new coffee table design in my head come to fruition. I work in the rustic style and often take cues from nature during the design process. In fact, when designing my furniture and other pieces, one of my main goals is to preserve and showcase the natural beauty and rustic imperfections inherent in the wood. Often it is the character in a piece of wood that “suggests” what that piece should become. Tool marks from the sawmill where the log was first milled, worm holes, bark, live edges and knots are all part of nature’s rich palate. Designs left by fungal attack and the great diversity of patterns and colors that result from different tree species as well as the many variations within species are also part of nature’s palette. It is this rich and diverse palette that I turn to again and again as I go about my daily work.
Thank you for your interest in my work.
Jim Wright
owner, artist, creator
