Personal Projects

Steambending is the process of manipulating strips of wood with heat in order to make strong, permanent forms.

Taking cues from the properties of the material, I learned that moisture content and thickness of the wood were factors that greatly affected the pliability of the material. By cutting oak strips less than 1/16 of an inch, I was able to twist and weave the strips around a circular form creating a sphere of bent wood.

The concept of this piece was to create something that embodied the dichotomy of steambending: chaotic and contained, pliable and firm.

Sketching is my oldest and most revered pastime. Recently learning about line-weight, shading and form has sparked a new interest in the practice of accurately recreating what is seen.