Artist Background
Vel started her art career painting various animals and outdoor scenes on canvas after studying art in college. After a period of time she found more excitement and enjoyment out of painting wildlife using various cuts of wood as her canvas. She finds a challenge in painting on wood, using the grain, knots and holes as well as the various colors of the wood. The individual character of the wood makes every piece of art unique.
Wood Preparation
Rod carefully selects trees that will yield the most interesting surfaces for Vel to paint on. In winter he cuts down mature and dying trees into slabs and wedges. These trees provide the wood patterns that are the most intense. The next phase is to dry the slabs and wedges to meet furniture quality moisture content. This involves drying the wood in an outdoor screened bin for a year, inside in an out building for another year, and then moisture calibrating it. At this point he hand power-sands the pieces to perfect smoothness. The next and most critical process is to immerse each piece into a special formulated oil bath. This oil penetration is important to prevent splitting and also maintains bark adhesion. Once dried, two coats of hand-brushed urethane are applied on the entire piece to completely seal the wood. At this point Rod's process is complete, and Vel can start her artwork.
