Autumn Morning in Tsukahara

Autumn Morning in Tsukahara
Autumn morning in Tsukahara

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Intarsia

 I’ve been an avid woodworker for over the past 15 years. During this time,  I’ve had the pleasure of making decks, gates, sailplanes, bridges, shoji screens, picture frames, intarsia, kotatsu, and even koto stands. I think I enjoyed intarsia the most. Intarsia is the art of making pictures out of wood. Judy Gale Roberts has been a great inspiration to many people who have done intarsia.
Koto Stand


First attempt at intarsia






Zoom in on the teeth








Here’s a few examples of my work.
I was experimenting with combining two of my hobbies, woodworking and stained glass, and came up with some unique creations.
I would like to do an intarsia of my two dogs, but most of my woodworking equipment has been carefully packed away. I hope it won’t be too long before I can focus my attention on my hobbies after I move to Japan. Creating an intarsia of the spectacular view outside my window in Tsukahara is on my to-do list. Another hope is that I will be able to spark an interest and share how to make an intarsia. Most of my projects are made from Western Red Cedar, although some artists use a variety of woods to get the various colors.
George

2 comments:

  1. Hello George (& Erika)!
    First off, George your woodwork is amazing. Absolutely, beautiful. Oh, so you know who I am. This is Jeannette, John Nanney's wife. I have kept your Xmas/postcard on my desk so I can visit your site & would you believe, I am just now looking at it. I wanted to post a comment on the visit, but I am having trouble. This is due to my great computer skills... that are lacking, so I resorted to commenting here in hopes you see it. So the visitor from Riverside is ME. I was also checking to see how your home ij Japan was coming along. We are excited for you both. I have uncles, aunts, cousins residing in the Iwakuni area. My heart is sick with all that the country is going through right now. I do hope your family is ok.

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  2. Hi Jeannette,
    Thank you for the kind remarks. My woodworking is on hold until the move to Japan. The house in Seattle is for sale. I’ll be visiting Tsukahara in May provided it’s safe to land in Narita. Most of my relatives are in Tokyo. They are okay except for the lack transportation and electricity. I heard that non-perishable food is starting to be hard to come by. At least they are safe and have a roof over their heads. It must be nerve racking wondering when the next quake will occur. I feel a deep sadness for the people of Japan. The strength and tenacity that has been shown by the Japanese makes me very proud to have ancestors from Japan. Please say hello to John for me. I hope you and your family are well. George

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