One of my greatest sources of joyful gratitude is standing back to take in a completed sculpture, carved table, or vessel, and the client states "it's better than I imagined!"
HELLO ETSY FRIENDS! July 7, 2020
A little bit about the "new me" (which is really me, Penny. More on that later......)
Backtracking quickly, i graduated college with an art degree in 1979 so of course I spent 2 years driving a flower delivery truck! If you understood immediately what I meant, you are either an economics major or "experienced in life" like me! Whoever you are, Welcome to my ETSY STORE!
Fast forward, eventually was led to Missouri, family, and my dream of owning my own wood shop! In the earlier years of my business here in the Midwest a major component of my work involved antique repairs and restorations. I was able to analyze firsthand the evidence of wood design that worked, and more importantly what didn't work! You know about that learning through your failures thing, right? It can also be someone else's failure you learn from! Talk about "OJT". W.O.W!
One of the truth nuggets I have learned: "You've got to know the rules before you can break them". It's why some design works and some doesn't. That's about the most straight forward way I can think of to explain it.
Well, after a dozen or so years, we relocated to a larger community, still here in the Midwest and my opportunities to create custom furniture, cabinets and art really opened up! I've had the opportunity to provide for private, commercial, and liturgical clients. I also strive to continue to have the honor to participate in a local juried art show called "RIVERSSANCE Festival of Fine Art". This is an AWESOME, annual, September ART FAIR in DAVENPORT, IOWA. Will see if we still have it this year... so far so good.
And now, ETSY!!!
***** NEWEST OF NEWS *****!
My NUMBER ONE FAN, Penny Thompson Stratton re-joined me in the wood shop recently. Early on she served time as my #1 sanding assistant and shop go-fer when needed. More recently she has been more of "an idea guy".
Well, Penny accepted my request to manage the social media for my business! She is an RN for 43 years and counting, but nowadays instead of focusing on bodily functions, she is RE-focusing on JayStrattonWood.etsy.com and all the excitement and beauty therein. [*scene]
So, hi! Penny here!
Amazing Jay is a pretty humble, quiet guy so I'm gonna take some opportunity to direct a minute of my social networking energies toward bragging on him just a little!!
Tell you what! For almost 37 years I've watched him repeatedly start with a stack of wood and end up creating this beautiful [insert thing here] out of that very wood!
He uses 2 different hydraulic adjustable-height tables, blocks, clamps, adjustable stools, body armor, splints, respiratory protection, eye protection, you name it. Whatever it takes to stabilize the form while he carves, and be able to keep carving!! He still ends up nearly on his head sometimes!
Then one day the carving's done. And I STILL find my brain jumping to "how DOES he do that?"
Whether its' furniture or vessels, or turning your gaze to sculptures, Jay's designs and labors are his own unique style. He pushes the known boundaries of gravity and visual expectations over and over again whenever he's left to his own devices!!
Then there's that client who wants "just a table". Jay's artistic eye gets turned toward the design, laser focus on the project and trust me. With Amazing Jay... NOTHING is a "just a". That table will have THE MOST amazing grain, book-matched, curly or burl wood. Amazing Jay never makes "just a" table..."just a" anything!
Jay does everything from custom furnishings to creating rare and unique art pieces. Inspirations come from God Lessons, The Bible, living here in the Midwest. The beautiful and ever-changing seasons are a Blessing to our soul! (Next January when Jay is scraping ice, I'll remind him I said he said that! LOL) It's restorative to hike the woods or bike along the Mississippi as a lifetime of amazing days continues to unfold in front of us!
We really hope you enjoy AMAZING JAY'S one-of-a-kind, unique wood works as much as he enjoys the opportunity to create them!
Blessings to All!
Jay and Penny
aka "OhBeWoodOne"
