From Tree, to Tree Art
Every piece begins with a tree.
I sensitively select sustainably sourced wood for its natural beauty, character and story.
Working with traditional hand tools and time-honoured techniques, I slowly transform the wood — not trying to hide its natural character, but allowing its grain, colour, markings and texture to guide the piece that emerges.
Preparing the Wood
The journey begins by sawing the wood to size, selecting the part of the wood that will become the jewellery.
Each cut begins to reveal what has been hidden inside the tree — its grain, colour and individual markings.
Shaped with an Axe
The sawn wood is then prepared using a carving axe, gradually reducing it into a billet ready for further shaping.
It is a simple, traditional process: working with the grain, removing only what is needed and allowing the character of the wood to remain.
The Drawknife & Shave Horse
Next, the billet is held on a traditional shave horse and shaped using a drawknife.
The rhythm is slow and physical — each stroke bringing the wood closer to its final form.
There is something deeply satisfying about working this way. No motors, no rush; just the movement of the tool, the feel of the wood and the gradual transformation taking place in your hands.
Turning Wood into Art
The prepared wood is then mounted on my foot-powered lathe.
Powered simply by the movement of my foot, the lathe turns the wood while I shape it using hand tools.
As the surface is gradually removed, the patterns that have been growing inside the tree for years begin to appear.
Every turn reveals something that was already there.
Revealing the Tree
Once turned, each piece is individually sawn, carved and refined by hand before being finished with a naturally derived hard wax oil.
The finish protects the wood while allowing its grain, colour and natural markings to remain at the centre of the piece.
No two pieces emerge in quite the same way.
The tree has already created the material.
I simply help reveal its art.
Gentle Rhythms. Timeless Craft. Shaped by Tradition.
Working slowly with hand tools creates a very different relationship with the wood.
You notice its grain.
You feel when its direction changes.
You discover markings and colours that may have been hidden inside the tree for decades.
And gradually, a piece of wood becomes something that can be worn.