When I’m asked about my woodworking, it is typically in the realm of “Where you do you get your ideas?”
My response is “I keep my eyes open, something strikes me, and I try to make something like it out of wood”
In preparation for just such a talk this week to a local woodworking guild, I have put together some work that I can directly correlate to the inspiration for same. My hope is that it might help you get creative, too!
The order will be – first what iinspired the design, then the work. Hope you find it useful!
The yin/yang is a very widely recognizable symbol. While it holds no real significance for me, the design does.
One of my most requested works – slither, came from a child’s toy.
Anyone who has played “Half Life” would recognize a sentry bot.
A seed pod of some sort
And my version…an EYEpod
A sea cucumber
My version
Milkweed seed pot
Scary looking camel spiders in Iraq
A forked tongue
Look at the area where the bowl meets the handle, see the fork?
Asteroid!
Graceful ballet dancer
Inchworm
Giant clam
As you can see, I get most of my ideas from the surrounding world. Hope you liked it!
-- Just another woodworker
10 comments so far
GaryK
home | projects | blog
9533 posts in 884 days
posted 623 days ago
I see that your inspiration comes from all around you.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
Damian Penney
home | projects | blog
1030 posts in 887 days
posted 623 days ago
What a great insight, thanks for sharing.
-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso
stanley2
home | projects | blog
278 posts in 691 days
posted 623 days ago
Mike – you can come talk to our guild in British Columbia any time – congrats on the Lee Valley cover too!
-- Phil in British Columbia
Eric
home | projects | blog
784 posts in 680 days
posted 623 days ago
That’s very cool. I recently heard Kaleo Kala (a fellow LumberJock and quasi-celebrity woodworking blogger) say that he doesn’t look for design inspiration in other furniture, but rather in everything around him. Just like you, I’d say. Very neat.
-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com
SPalm
home | projects | blog
949 posts in 778 days
posted 623 days ago
Mike, you got the eye. Thanks for sharing.
-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon
Mario
home | projects | blog
882 posts in 947 days
posted 623 days ago
Thank you for the glimpse into the creative mind, it is facinating.
-- Hope Never fails
Scott Bryan
home | projects | blog
20707 posts in 718 days
posted 623 days ago
Hi Mike,
You have an artist’s eye for the world around us. You can obviously see the hidden beauty that lies inside of a piece of wood whereas I, being artistically challenged, can only view it in terms of board feet. I respect and appreciate your abilities and talents, as well as those others who share your ability to see the “treasures in hiding”.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
scottb
home | projects | blog
3402 posts in 1223 days
posted 623 days ago
great post – thanks for sharing the insight, i love seeing where fellow creatives come from, something I wish we saw more of in our magazines, not just the end result.
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
schwingding
home | projects | blog
122 posts in 721 days
posted 622 days ago
Thank you all! I hope tonight’s audience enjoys it as much as you have.
-- Just another woodworker
jeanmarc
home | projects | blog
1751 posts in 612 days
posted 570 days ago
Merci pour ce partage
-- jeanmarc manosque france