My style evolved from my love of wood, curves, and soft edges. I have been a cabinetmaker for 40 years. I see beauty and movement in wood and let the material tell me where it wants to go. In cabinetwork that means flowing with the grain through adjacent cabinets or using striking pieces for accent.
My art is all about the pieces used to create an image. I have always enjoyed drawing, so I’ve taken that love into wood. I also look for special woods when I go for supplies; purple poplar, curly maple, figured wormy maple, unusual colors and designs that naturally occur in the wood. Then I go into Photoshop and take my drawings or images and create patterns. These patterns are cut up and I search my scrap for just the right pattern, flow, and color. The best time is when I oil the pieces. The images pop, and I get to see if my vision of color and grain worked.
This past year I spent time upgrading tools, adding dust collection, and focusing on commissions of furniture and art. I also took about a month and went through 1000’s of photos to get a website together. You can read about my wood journey there and see some of my past cabinet and art designs. www.diswanwoodgal.com.
It’s been fun to step back into creative art this fall in preparation for studio tour. I make a big mess, and have a few pieces going at once. Not all of them make it to a final place but it’s the playing and imaging that I enjoy the most. I hope you enjoy it too.
