"Shield Awakening" at The Algonquin Art Centre

Brian's maple burl sculpture "Shield Awakening" is part of the Algonquin Art Centre's Canadian Shield  exhibition. It will be on display every day from June 1st until October 19th, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 pm at the Algonquin Art Centre, located on km. 20 in Algonquin Provincial Park. 

 Brian described "Shield Awakening" for the show:

"A land of rock scraped smooth and exposed by the ancient action of glaciers, the Canadian Shield is rich in lakes, rivers and forests.  Coniferous and deciduous trees root themselves in the thin rocky soil left behind and their vibrant reds, golds and greens define the land.  Beneath the canopy, a thick carpet of moss and lichen forms on the rocks and trees.The forces of wind, harsh climate and exposed bedrock awaken the strength, spirit and textures of the forest.  The maple burl, with its rugged natural edge, reveals the beauty within the tree as it spreads its roots and clings to the granite."
 

 

The rocks of the Canadian Shield are everywhere as Brian and I hike along the trails near our home.  Last fall, as we were discussing the upcoming theme of the Algonquin Art Centre, we discovered this huge piece of granite in the forest.  It was perfect as the base for Brian's sculpture. 

 

 

 A few friends with strong arms helped to carry the rock to the studio.

 

Maples, with their burls and moss-covered bark, thrive on the Canadian Shield.  Brian turned the burl on the lathe with the intention of maintaining some of the bark and lichen in its original form.

 

The rugged outer surface of the bark with the complex textures of the forest is a contrast to the beauty of the finished inner core of the burl.

 

Maple Burl on the Lathe

 

The next stage of creating the sculpture was to design a stand which would capture the spirit of the Canadian Shield and illustrate the connection between the granite base and the maple burl bowl.

 

Brian worked with blacksmith artist Matt Church at The Artisan's Gallery to incorporate all the necessary elements of roots clinging to exposed granite, upraised branches and maple leaves.

Brian's creative inspiration for "Shield Awakening" was his love of the forests, rocks and landscapes of the Canadian Shield and its natural outcroppings of wood and rock.  We hope that you have an opportunity see the exhibition at the Algonquin Art Centre.

 

Shield Awakening

 

Burl and Wrought Iron Furniture

 

Bigleaf maple burl table with a wrought iron base

 

Brian specializes in turning bowls and platters on his lathe, but has recently completed some magnificent maple burl coffee tables. 

 

 



Last winter Brian made burl tables for our home, and a previous post about them on our blog,  Maple Burl and Wrought Iron Tables, led to a commission for a couple who have a cottage on Lake of Bays.  They chose the perfect piece of wood for their table from a slab of a maple tree that was covered in burls.  

 

Once again Brian worked with Matt Church, an artist and blacksmith, at The Artisan's Gallery , to make the  base for this table and three others, each with their own distinctive grain, colouring and details.

Matt Church designed the bases from wrought iron to fit and complement the unique shape of the table tops.  As the tables are maple, Matt formed the legs to appear as branches and twigs with interlaced maple leaves.

Brian shaped each table top, maintaining the raw edge, as he sanded and buffed the tops to a fine finish.

Multiple layers of urethane were rolled onto the table tops.  They were allowed to dry and then sanded between coats until there was a lustrous hard surface.

 

With each coat and the final polish, the contrasts in colour and grain were revealed and enhanced.  This table is made from a cross section of a huge bigleaf maple burl. The lighter sapwood and bark edge encircle the inner, darker heartwood centre, creating a rare and highly-prized effect.

 

Once the table tops were complete, Brian positioned the bases on the wood and screwed them into place.

Red maple table with a wrought iron base

The choice of Matt Church's wrought iron bases with their maple leaf motif was a perfect match to the finished table top.

Bigleaf maple burl table

Close-up photos of the tables detail the beauty of the burls with their irregular grain, bark inclusions and rich contrasts of colour.  These tables would be a splendid addition to any home.



Red maple table with a burl live edge

Artisan's Gallery wrought iron leaf



We are only a few days from the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour and it will be a wonderful opportunity to travel along the beautiful Muskoka roads with their colourful leaves and awesome scenery. You are welcome to visit Limberlost Woodturning on the last two weekends of September from 10:00-6:00. For more information, go to:

 

 www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com

 

 

Maple burl tables with wrought iron bases

 

Maple Burl and Wrought Iron Tables

Happy New Year!  It is a time of new beginnings in our workshop and in our home.  We have not been able to post recently as we have had a major renovation on our cottage with many weeks living in a trailer with no internet service. 

Brian was busy making very unique and beautiful furniture for our home.  He commissioned Matt Church from The Artisan's Gallery to make bases for maple burl tables. 

 

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Matt Church is an accomplished blacksmith artist and he worked with us to create a design that complemented Brian's burl tabletops. We decided on shapes with roots, maple leaves and branches.  We were delighted with Matt's creations when we picked them up at his gallery.

Brian spent countless hours on the burls.  One table was made from a slab of an entire burl while the other two were sliced horizontally and book-matched so that the tables had a mirror image of two halves to make a whole.  He planed both halves until they were equal thickness, glued them together, sanded and urethaned them to a perfect finish. 

Maple Burl and Wrought Iron Table

The coffee table has a shape which was suited to a pentagon base with curved supports and maple leaves.

Maple Burl and Wrought Iron End Table

Maple Burl and Wrought Iron Table

 The collaboration of Matt Church's hand-forged wrought-iron and Brian's exceptional burl pieces have resulted in distinctive one-of-a-kind furniture.

For more information about Matt Church, go to:

www.theartisansgallery.ca