IT BEGINS AS A DOWNED TREE. THEN I TAKE A CHAINSAW, A FEW SANDERS, A BLOWTORCH AND A BIT OF ELBOW GREASE WITH INK AND PAPER AND CREATE A WORK OF ART.
I use a number of techniques from blow-torching to wetting out the surface of the wood, to leaving it out in the rain to brushing out the rings in order to prep the surface for printing. The overall goal is produce definition in the rings in order to pull a print from the surface.
The blow-torch is the most fun though!
FOR EACH PRINT SOLD I PLANT A TREE. IT'S A SMALL THING, BUT AN IMPORTANT ONE.
EACH PRINT YOU SEE IS PRINTED BY THESE TWO HANDS.
MINE.
DIRECTLY FROM THE TREE.
SO WHILE I PULL LIMITED RUNS FROM EACH STUMP(USUALLY EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF GROWTH RINGS) EACH IS AN ORIGINAL PIECE OF ART THAT HAS IT'S OWN CHARACTER PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THE TREE.
A WHILE BACK GARETH PON CAME INTO THE STUDIO AND TOOK A BUNCH OF PHOTOS WHILE I DID MY THING. HERE'S A FEW MORE OF THEM...