Last fall I was gifted several sections of Ash from a friend who owned his own personal lumber mill. He usually uses his scraps for heating his house, but he had taken notice of my work and offered me some samples. While I waited for them to dry, I started pondering what to put on each of the canvasses. Seeing as how I had no clue if I could ever expect a resupply, I was hesitant to be creative with any of them so I just let them sit and wait for inspiration to hit.
On a random day at work I stumbled upon an idea and took advantage of the inspirational momentum while it was still there. I had never worked with this kind of wood, or the rough texture that comes from being run through a mill, ready to be discarded. The surface area was larger than I was used to, but the design fit too well for me to pass up. The largest hurdle came not from the intricate artwork, but from finding a way to preserve the edge bark. I had to enlist the help of an expert carpenter, and I nearly destroyed the art detail itself in the process.
Lessons learned and more ideas are starting to come!
Thanks Eric & Al
Sketchy Climbing 