tree of life

A Definition Of Wood Art

A Piece Of Art As A Memory In Time

As people we have always gravitated towards natural art. Few stop to ask why. The answer can be found in the definition of wood art. At least it is the definition that I perceive and hold. A piece of art is more than an object. It holds a memory in time that a singular expression cannot capture. It was never meant to be an item on a shelf.

Beyond Carving Art

Often enough wood art is thought of as a form of shaping a natural material into an object. This object can be of utilitarian use or for display as visual appeal. Yet the modern world has done something to us that past generations of history have not experienced.

ship wall wood art

As recent as the early 1900’s society began to shift from rural locations of living and into cities. Terms such as the “concrete jungle” emerge in our lexicon to define our surroundings. We removed ourselves from the natural world and into the brick and mortar landscape. Presently we have further withdrawn away from the natural elements with the advent of our electronic age as our world exists on a screen rather than by what surrounds us.

Progressively with each step we see a rise in social anxiety, depression, and a host of other ailments that plague society today. We were not meant to live our life in a disconnected manner. Though we have the ability to connect with anyone within the world instantly we have never been so far apart from each other or the natural world around us.

Wood art has a meaning that reaches beyond the pretty wall art or decor. To define wood art it reaches back into time to reconnect us even if in a small way to that link in time.

Art Inspiration

We have lost focus on things that truly matter as our families become disconnected despite being within the same room as each other. Dinner table talks have disappeared just as has for many eating at the dinner table as a family. Daily with each screen viewing we are inundated with advertisements of how to be beautiful, what it takes to be pretty, how we should think, and to have this cheap item will make your life better for only 9.99.

We were not meant to be cheapened into believing we are not good enough unless we have someones cheap junk. Add to this fact that the junk is produced in a county we have never seen by people we do not know. My art inspiration comes from a rooted history of where we came from. Wood art and its meaning brings a piece of that past to be remembered. It is a reminder of what we should be, or could be if we chose to really be who we are.

celtic cross wall wood art

Many today fight for some kind of social change without asking a critical question. If we change, what we will change into? No society in history has existed without its ills or evils. No society of man in the future will be our utopia. If we are to change then it is better to remember the truth in our foundations rather than the lies of those with no rudder or direction. With my art inspiration I fight to remember what was lost.

For me wood art is about more than woodworking. It is about more than a mere carving. I create for myself more than others. The fact is I prefer to create for myself than to accept a commission. I care less for the sale or the money received. Some can call it a passion, others a gift, I call it my therapy to be within my own world where I can express myself.

In that expression comes the meaning of so many things we have lost. It is why I love nature wall art. Within wood I can create a natural work within a natural material to bring something back. It is a work of beauty that can be not only visually appealing but also felt in the hands and known.

Art Is Dead

With my definition of wood art as I look on the world around us I would certainly say that art is dead. Despite this the artist is not dead. Few artists ever achieve a status where they can depend solely upon their work for a living. In a world where art is virtually forgotten for the Hobby Lobby catering the struggle of artists today is more real than ever in history.

Wood art is no different in this regard when compared to other traditional arts. It is not something one chooses to do but rather it is really about who someone is. Few choose the artistic life. If they do then it is an error in choice. You stand little to gain. The maker copycats within our society ensure any intellectual rights to methods of work are violated and yet we artists continue forward.

celtic deer wall wood art

My creations are not about money. They never will be. Yes I certainly know my value and will demand accordingly yet that monetary value is not the end means. Rather it would be a byproduct of what is. Most artists that have been in the world for any length of time find this same mentality and path if they survive long enough.

My definition of wood art is more complex than a mere marketing term used as a word to promote an item. To define anything requires insight into more than the answer of what something is but also the why behind it. Art in of itself is more about the why behind anything as an expression rather than the what it is.

Life itself cannot be answered by defining what it is. Rather we must define why we live. This is why art is more of a way of life than any occupation or title. I do not complain that art is dead. I say that because it really does not matter as long as the artists still live to create. That is as long as we create for the right reasons. We will continue to move forward, at least for those of us who are real in who we are.

Reconnecting To The Past

If one can appreciate the works made by any artist it can reconnect us to something. My art seeks to do this very thing. It is a timeless connection that brings with it a memory reaching back beyond history itself. It holds our origins and how we have shaped our world. It reminds us of beautiful things and places.

In some small way as we live our lives with all the plastic and machinery, the brick and mortar of our walled societies, it is a memory. It provides an escape from what ills us and weighs on our minds. If only a momentary freedom from the box we have placed ourselves within to live we see beyond those walls.

Natural elements have a way of automatically bringing us to another place. It is as if it were a time machine to take us to somewhere we have forgotten. Natural art has a life of its own to tell a story we all know but has escaped our memories. It only requires us to stop long enough to listen to its words.

Our well being cannot be shaped by screens or the confined spaces we place ourselves within. There is not enough room to exhale nor enough time to reflect as the bombardments of life roll in a sound byte at a time. We need to step back and remember the things we left behind and the paths of those who brought us to where we are.

Nature Wall Art and the Memory Box

My two main themes in wood art creation is nature wall art and the memory box. Makers prefer to make items of use for daily activity. My choice to take the path I am on is heavily influenced by the definitions in my art that I hold. These creations are what I use to express those sentiments.

Song Bird In Tree Box Art

Certainly these works are not the big money makers where I will sell thousands at stores across the nation. That never was my intent. Nor will that ever be a direction I will pursue. My wall art is that reflection into the definition of the art. Each piece holds in some way a snapshot in time to that purpose. It was not created to be had by everyone. Rather it is for someone who can appreciate that definition.

The memory box was a later creation that came about with my desire to give more personal meaning. It not only can have meaning with its beauty and art design but also hold those memories we cherish within it. Perhaps this idea is the sentiments of an idealist as I live within a world where it seems little remains sacred. Nevertheless the idea is powerful in its meaning.

Outsiders Do Not Understand

Those on the outside who know me and look in have told me to make more useful items such as coasters or a cutting board. These items are not wood art. It is not what I am nor what I do. I am not a maker. I am not built to mass produce something. Perhaps this is a fault. Maybe it is not.

Of all the things one could do in life this path is not one of wealth or abundance. It was never meant to be. I would rather live my life as it was meant to be lived with meaning than to live a life with everything and it mean nothing. To what small sentiment this gives me to sleep at night knowing I have done all I can to be who I am is more than most ever get the chance to experience. It is a rare gift that is given.

old ironsides box art

Art is a way of life. It can be within everything we do and touch. It can be within everything we see. Art is the desire to seek perfection in that something we apply ourselves to. It is more than a function or project to do. I do not try to make others understand nor do I expect them to.

To be able to understand this meaning can only truly be known by those who have experienced it. There is a freedom that it holds. The truth is that we will never be free from the expectations of life. No matter where we are or what we do there will always be expectations and necessities to address. If we are not careful we can make a schedule so burdensome that we obsess and are run by our task driven life.

Real freedom is in how we see our world and in turn live our life. We can define our meaning. Once defined that definition cannot be taken from us unless we surrender it. That is a personal choice we all make. Some may never find the path that was truly theirs to live. Others are on it and may not know it. Yet for those who know it and do not live it is a shame for they miss that experience.

Wood art to me is a complex thing that holds more than any mere item can give. Its expression is personal but also cannot be contained by a single meaning. It can cross boundaries to be defined in new ways with new meanings by those who hold and see the work. In this way it is alive and tells its own story that cannot be completely defined. That is the beauty of art.

As long as the artists of the world live and create, art will still move forward and have life. While art may be dead in terms of a markets value it cannot be removed in terms of its meaning and definition. Those who are artists must still move forward to keep these ideas alive. An idea can be a dangerous thing. It can change a world that others do not want to change. It is our job to ensure that these ideas exist so that whatever change comes the past is not forgotten.

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