First Speaker: Maple
Sylvan Souls - Spalted Maple
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The forest is a treasure trove of fallen branches. I am constantly on the lookout for new windfalls. Often I am rewarded, especially after a storm. On finding downed limbs, I check for a deterioration known as spalting. If the spalting is well advanced I set aside the branch for collection. Sylvan Souls, on the left, is an excellent example of this. The technique that I use shows off these patterns to good effect. |
Maples starting to change colour.
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Consciousness - Figured Maple
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These two maple platters have an iridescent quality to them to which the photos do not do them justice. They are made from a board that contains the heart of the tree. As the wood dried, the heart developed splits which I filled with clear epoxy to return the integrity to the pieces. The result is that instead of firewood I have two stunning platters. |
The Distant Hills - Figured Maple
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Forest Fireworks - Birdseye Maple
Forest Fireworks, above, is one of the finest examples of birdseye maple with which I have had the pleasure of working. The first coat of finish on this piece caused the 'eyes' to jump out, giving it a three dimensional quality. 
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Wind Song, on the right, is another example of spalted maple but it is more subtle. There is a 'busyness' about this piece that draws the eye and encourages deeper study. Totally Consumed, below, is a small vase made from maple canker. Canker is a cancer that kills the tree and in the process changes the colour of the wood from blond to a deep red-brown. It also makes the wood very hard and wonderful to turn. However, the wood splits badly when drying but this can be overcome with clear epoxy. 
Totally Consumed - Maple Canker
Sunrise on the left is a platter in maple canker. Canker pieces this size, 19 inches in diameter, are not common. Clear epoxy was used to fill the cracks and give the piece integrity. It is normal for canker to split extensively and therefore it is not often used for this purpose. |
Wind Song - Spalted Maple
En Plein Air (below) is another example of spalted maple. Unlike the piece above where the wood came from the branches of the tree, this piece was made from wood from the trunk near its base. The spalting seems more random and sketchy but still interesting.
En Plein Air - Spalted Maple
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