The workshop
Our story
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After taking up fulltime residence on Lismore in 2014 and finishing where we were going to live, rebuilding the outhouses became the priority. After the majority of the work was finished the workshop could finally get some attention.
The process
It all begins with the wood.
until 2 years ago we traveled the country looking for wood with exceptional character, now the majority of our wood is cut from trees at risk on Lismore, which is very gratifying. It is then flattened and cut to size before drying for 2 - 5 months in one of our two small wood drying sheds.
If you use only incredible pieces of character hardwood, each piece will direct you to how it may be used. Big, flat and exceptional, then perhaps a table top. If it is a great piece of wood, however it does not stir you passion then it could be the base or legs. Incredible character and not big enough for a table then it would be criminal not to use it and turn it into something worthy of hanging in a gallery.
The best of the small offcuts are shaped into something useful or decorative then sanded and polished the same as the other work.
Finally, any scraps are burned on the house stove and the shavings and sawdust are used in the garden compost.
Finishing
Sanding and polishing of each table top or piece of wall art takes 1 - 2 days, depending on the size.
The natural colour of the wood is enhanced with a clear oil that hardens to give a durable satin finish.
The oiling process takes about 3 weeks and 7 - 10 coats to get right.
From the tree comming down, to getting a place in a Scottish art gallery, the full process can easily take a full year.
Time
After finding the wood, no matter the size of the work the process is the same and takes at least 10 weeks from start to finish, not including the drying process.
After the wood is selected and the moisture content is OK a watertight frame is made for each piece and the multiple layers of resin and foraged treasure are combined. All the foraged treasure within the work is natural and from the shores close to the Isle of Lismore (except the pearl contained in every piece). Each layer takes 2 - 5 days before the next can be added.
When complete, the work can be removed from the frame after a week then worked to its final shape. It’s a further 2 - 3 weeks before the polishing and oiling can begin.