Fresh-sawn, or green lumber, is loaded with water, and it’s heavy!  The total weight of the lumber is approximately 36,740 pounds or 18.4 tons.  The next step is to dry it.  During this process, the wood will lose about one-third of its weight or six tons of water.

Wood art, with its organic warmth and beauty, offers a way to connect with nature while enhancing the ambiance in our homes. Here are some benefits of welcoming wood art into your living space.

I make art from wood, and the wood I use is always part of a bigger story.  In a recent blog, I shared why my wife, Sarah, and I are harvesting trees from our property.  The two days spent felling and skidding the trees was a great adventure!

I make art from wood, and the wood I use is always part of a bigger story.  In a recent blog, I shared why my wife, Sarah, and I are harvesting trees from our property.  The two days spent felling and skidding the trees was a great adventure!

When I was nineteen years old, I planted some black walnut trees at the home where I grew up. They were mail-order from Miller Nurseries in Canandaigua, NY. Each sapling was only about eighteen inches tall and the diameter of a pencil. They had no branches but were just sticks with some roots. I planted them because of my growing interest in wood, and I especially respected black walnut. I never imagined I would harvest them for lumber.

The debate about whether artistic talent is inherited (nature) or developed through environment and experience (nurture) has intrigued researchers for years. Here are some things I have observed.

As a kid, I loved going up the too-steep stairs to the big, awesome attic in my house. Among the old family artifacts was a China closet. The door was missing its glass, and its crazed, black finish hid any clue as to what the wood underneath looked like.

The air buzzed with inspiration at the View Arts Center in Old Forge, New York. I was there to showcase my wood sculptures at the opening of the "Art of the Craft" exhibit. This exhibition “showcases artists and craftspeople working in any craft medium whose work exemplifies excellence in craftsmanship, design, and innovative use of the materials.