Wood Art
Wood is a highly versatile material. It is commonly associated with furniture, flooring, tree seats and construction but it can also be used to create outstanding artworks. The unique appeal and qualities of wood made it a popular art and craft material already in the ancient times but unfortunately, most of the earliest wood artworks have been lost due to its decaying nature. But those few that managed to withstand the effects of time and the natural decaying process reveal exceptional craftsmanship and creativity as well as the taste of the ancient people for art and beauty.
Wood art is a broad term which can be applied to a number of objects that have an artistic value from statues, wall art, vases, bowls, handmade 21st birthday presents and even furniture. Wood artworks can be made of a combination of wood and other materials but wood art typically applies to pieces of art which are made exclusively of wood, usually logs although recently wood artworks which are made of reclaimed wood (wood that is “harvested“ from old wooden structures rather than from newly cut wood) have also become popular as it gives the artwork an additional appeal and value due to its aged look and kind of historical value as it is typically obtained from structures which are more than 100 years old.
Various methods can be used to create wood artworks but the finest pieces are typically hand-carved from the beginning to the end. Wood artworks can be stained which is used to give the final creation some colour or as an integral part of artistic expression. Like other types of art, wood art is typically intended to have a decorative purposes but some pieces of wood art can also have a practical value such as jewellery boxes, various pieces of furniture, etc. Other left over wood is perfect as kindling for wood burning stoves.
Wood artworks in the real meaning of the word can be found in art galleries but many artworks made of wood are also sold by hobby woodcarvers and woodworkers either in their home, own shops or online. The artistic value of these creations varies greatly but many achieve the quality of the finest artworks. Another great thing about wood artworks which are created by hobbyists is that they can be often customized which makes them ideal gifts for special occasions such as retirements, birthdays, various anniversaries, etc. The prices vary greatly but they are typically significantly less expensive than pieces of art which are sold by galleries.
A special category is the so-called petrified wood art. It is not wood art as such because petrified wood is wood really although it often looks like stone version of real wood. Petrified wood actually consists of minerals which have replaced all organic matter while retaining the shape and appearance of the original matter. As a result, petrified wood has completely different properties than real wood but it can be used to create artworks as well. However, turning petrified wood into an artwork requires completely different techniques and manual skills than woodcarving.