Silver Gecko WoodWorking

08/22/2023

08/03/2023

𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒏 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔

This was a heartfelt project for the special lady in my life. She has a deep love of hiking and especially waterfalls. This inspired me to recreate one of the notable waterfalls in our area as a gift for her birthday.

Handcrafted using reclaimed fir and barnwood. For the water in the pool below the falls I used wire brushed textured fir and stained to color. The tumbling water of the falls themselves were created using cotton.

This was a very rewarding project, she absolutely loves it and has displayed it proudly.

08/02/2023

𝑹𝒆𝒚

My first commissioned piece!

Handcrafted using pine. Rey is stained using 4 different colors with blending for layering and shadow. The wood itself is layered at different elevations to give more of a 3d appearance. Finished with a barnwood frame this piece is absolutely stunning! Extremely pleased with the finished result!

This piece was created for a new client from a picture provided to me as a tribute to a much loved member of the family. Truly a "Free Spirit", having has escaped numerous times from enclosures, Rey redefines the meaning of "will not be caged".

06/06/2023

𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒉

Dimensions – 18” wide by 30” tall

Made using reclaimed cedar, walnut, wire brushed fir, and naturally aged barn wood.

Sometimes life can throw challenges in our path. At these times we must do our best continue forward very much like a river. Its unstoppable flow finding new pathways around every obstacle always moving forward.

Each successive layer of the weathered barn wood mountains is stepped up from the previous layer to enhance the three-dimensional effect. The sky is created using varying natural colors of cedar with walnut accents. The ripple effect in the water is created using wire brushed fir and stained a pleasing blue. The frame has a Venetian Bronze finish.

The entire piece is finished with water based clear satin Varathane to seal and protect and the wood in its most natural color.

03/18/2023

𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙧

20 inches wide by 20 inches tall

Handcrafted using reclaimed oak, maple, birch, fir and barnwood. The eagle is stained using 4 different colors and blending for layering and shadow. Extremely pleased with the finished result!
The symbolism attached to the sighting of a bald eagle is extremely significant, and in many cultures, it is considered to be a sign of exceptional luck and inspiration. Because of its auspicious nature, many spiritual traditions consider the eagle to be a symbol of authority, strength, and leadership.
The majestic feathers and white head of a bald eagle embody the highest standards of integrity and honor.
A bald eagle soaring through the sky or diving for its prey reminds you of how limitless your own possibilities are. Take some time to meditate on the sight of this magnificent bird, and let its presence fill you with strength and determination.

03/16/2023

Added a touch of color to the eagle. Perhaps more than a touch! LOL! Used 4 different colors, blended the brown for the wings and body and slowly darkened with about 6 layers, darkening each layer as I went. Starting to come along nicely! Next step is the background.

03/14/2023

This will be the center piece for the next project. A Bald Eagle created using red oak. maple and birch. Stay tuned for updates as the project proceeds!

02/26/2023

𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴
The noble whitetail stag surveys his territory. Perhaps even letting out an aggressive grunt to make other males aware of his dominance.
The wood deer was created with a technique referred to as Intarsia. This is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The start of the practice dates from before the seventh century AD. The technique of intarsia inlays sections of wood within the solid wood matrix; by contrast marquetry assembles a pattern out of veneers glued upon the carcass. The word intarsia may derive from the Latin word interserere (to insert). I used Aspen for the main body, Maple (Light Fur color) and Birch for the antlers.
The metal wire inlay is all hand done using standard residential silver and copper electrical wire. The wire is set into grooves cut into the wood, then sanded with progressively finer grits of sandpaper until a polished finish is achieved.
The trees are carved out of reclaimed pine and spruce and the rest of the piece including frame was created using barnwood and lichen encrusted barnwood for the foreground. The lichen appealed to me as a way to simulate prairie grassland.
They are the most common deer species in North America.
One would think that such a populous species would live in large groups, but they tend to live alone, especially during the summer months, and males and females only interact during mating season (not unlike some married couples I know). Most of the time, if you see multiple deer together, it is either a female (called a "doe") and her babies (called "fawns") or a small group of young adult males (called "bucks").
Their grazing can significantly affect the composition of plants within their habitats. Tree seedling abundance decreases when white-tailed deer density grows above 5.8 individuals per square kilometer. As ruminant animals, they typically feed on what’s most available to them, their four-chambered stomachs allowing them to digest anything from leaves, twigs, moss, and even fungi. They also consume the buds of maple trees, poplar trees, birch trees, and shrubs, switching to hardier plants and conifers in the winter when food becomes scarce.
True to its name, the white-tailed deer has a white tail, though only on the underside; the top of its tail maintains the same light brown color as the rest of its body. When a white-tailed deer is alarmed or senses danger, it flips its tail up to display the white underside in a motion called “flagging.” Their tails are also larger and broader than other deer species.

02/02/2023

𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 - 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 & 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙛

Saw these for sale on Etsy, thought it was a very clever use of weathered wood, and had to make a set!

01/25/2023

𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒕
An experiment with color! Thought I might try staining this piece to see what might be possible for other projects in the future. This project is entirely reclaimed wood and all pieces have had some color treatment.
The flower petals and leaves are also from reclaimed wood. Each petal was stained from the edges inward leaving the centers natural wood color.
“Rosa Acicularis” is a flowering plant in the Rosaceae family. It is commonly known as the prickly wild rose.
Alberta adopted the prickly wild rose as the provincial flower in 1930 after the editor of an Edmonton newspaper suggested they select a floral emblem. The Women’s Institutes heeded this suggestion and passed it on to the Department of Education, and the school children of the province actually made the final decision. Kids had real power back then!
The flowers and buds are edible raw or boiled. In an emergency, you can peel and eat the young shoots. You can boil fresh, young leaves in water to make a tea, commonly used during menstruation to make up for iron loss. After the flower petals fall, you can eat the rose hips (remove any hairs and seeds in the center); the pulp is highly nutritious, and an excellent source of vitamin C. Rose hip is commonly used externally in oil form to restore firmness to skin by nourishing tissue. You can crush or grind dried rose hips to make flour. The dried flowers can also be eaten to help with heartburn, off to Taco Time we Go!
The sky received a sunset color gradient based on the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight, which results in the blue color perceived by the human eye. This was a challenge to blend and apply the different colors, but I am pleased with the result!
The rolling hills have a subtle green tint at the bottoms to simulate the rolling grassland and give them a shadowed appearance as the daylight fades. I left just the top edges of each hill with the natural weathered silver appearance to highlight them in the fading light.

01/21/2023

𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦? 𝐎𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭?

Recently I was asked to design and build a new podium for the Norland Historic Estate. The one they were using had been around a few years and was showing a bit of age, wear and tear from the many riveting speeches and presentations conducted at that amazing venue!
They wanted something new and fresh. We came up with an very nice contemporary design with a clean yet classic looks that would draw attention to the speaker behind it.
Interesting, during the design phase, while searching for inspiration. I learned that what I was building was in fact not a podium. Most of us would refer to this as just that, however, in fact the “Podium” is actually defined as the raised platform on which the speaker stands to deliver his or her speech. The word is derived from the Greek word “pothi” which means “foot”. The word “podiatrist”(foot doctor) comes from the same source. So in actual fact the podium is more like what you stand on to deliver the speech or like the stepped platform the athletes stand on to receive awards at the Olympics.
What I was building was actually a “Lecturn” This is defined as a raised, slanted stand on which a speaker can place his or her notes. The word is derived from the Latin word “lectus” the past participle of the verb “legere”, which means “to read”. The word “lecture” comes from the same source.
I will undoubtedly continue to refer to this a “Podium” just because it would, most likely, create a lot of confusion to ask, Hey do you have a “Lectern”? so I can address this group and enlighten them with my amazing facts! LOL!