Wayne Schaefer |
The art of creating Wayne Schaefer's highly polished hand-carved wood boxes begins with his keen eye for scouring the dense underbrush in the forest floors of British Columbia in search of perfectly aged pieces of spalted birch. Spalting is the beginning of decay by fungus which produce the gorgeous bleached and darkened grain that makes every piece of spalted wood as unique as a snowflake. Once unearthed, these carefully chosen small, raw chunks of birch are the diamonds in the rough for Schaefer's striking wood boxes, bowls and furniture. Unique heirlooms in the making.
After 35 years as a practicing carpenter, Wayne Schaefer moved from the wide open prairies of Regina, Saskatchewan to the forested landscape of White Lake, BC. He designed his home, woodshop and outbuildings to ensure minimal environmental impact as the setting for creation of his wood art.
There are many layers to Schaefer's his non-traditional woodworking art. More than 50 small pieces of spalted birch are laminated to form boards. Multiple boards are laminated to form blocks. From these, an interior is carved to form a vessel. A lid is crafted. And then begins the long process of sanding, polishing and finishing to the point of satin sheen.
Naturalist. Environmentalist. Fine hand-crafted wood artist. Enjoying a second career working with the wood he loves in his chosen woodsy environment. Wood art by Wayne Schaefer is more than a pleasureable artifact. It is a gift of nature.
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