The Story of a Piece of Wood
Many years ago, over 10, I collected wood from along a creek that ran through a meadow where I lived. In the winter time, the high water and flooding would bring a lot of limbs and logs down the creek from higher mountain areas. The area had abundant Mountain Ash growing along the creek channel and this was primarily the kind of wood I found, along with Aspen. For reasons unknown, sometimes the Mountain Ash trees would have a lot of insect activity under the bark, creating beautiful "designs" in the woods surface. When I would find this kind of wood it would always be a treasure.
This shows the Ash trees growing along the creek banks, in this area it was typical to find these trees growing in the riparian corridor along all the creeks and river.
The creek and meadow habitat were full of abundant wild life, here is a group of young Black Tail bucks, which lived in the meadow. For some years I watched the grow into large , handsome bucks.
Lots of waterfowl, songbirds, herons and cranes lived and visited the meadows and abundant water sources, they nested there and raised young and many lived there year round.
Over the years I made many functional houses for nesting songbirds. This a baby Western Bluebird, leaving the "nest" for the first time. He had 4 siblings! There were also Wood duck boxes, goose nests and many Bluebird houses, which Tree Swallows also used.
So at this time so many years ago, I had found quite a large tree that had died and fallen and had saved the last piece of this wood, waiting to make something just right. I no longer have access to this kind of wood, so it remained very special to me. At last I knew it was time and I decided to make one of my favorite creations I designed ~ a tree cupboard.
When I lived in Wyoming and found a lot of beaver chewed wood, it inspired me to make a "tree cupboard" for the first time. I have only made a few of these over the years, but decided my last piece of Ash was right for it. I made the piece, using very beautiful hand milled Sugar Pine for the roof and floor. I put vintage paper inside on the back wall. The piece can be set on a surface or hung on a wall. It is now going to a loving home.
It will forever hold the spirit of the woods & meadows it came from, abounding with wild life, fox, coyotes, herons, bluebirds, tree swallows, elk, deer and eagles.
The house holds the essence of the woods, the meadow and the creeks and ponds in it.
Wee folk are always drawn to the story of the wood and want to visit! Inside are memories of all the birds and creatures that have visited the wood along the way...
Knowing that inside there is both mystery and beauty in the story.
Gatherings always follow.....!
A house I will always happily remember.
As Autumn arrives , so does working more with wool and felt as it becomes colder in my wood
wood shop. Before I started this Deep Forest mat, I dyed more wool, pre-felt and roving different shades of green. This mat is being created for the base of a big Tree Trunk House that a customer already has. I love working with these wonderful colors. I try to give several 3 dimensional parts to this and pond made with silk. This is about 18" by 22".
This is Liefs little brother! He is riding in his Milkweed seedpod boat!
