Page 54 - Wood Review Dec 202 Full issue

2
TECHNIQUE
2. The bottoms of the vases were burnt for thematic reasons referencing how bushfires often burn just at ground level.
3. The turned vases before their thematic finishes were applied.
4. The author used the shou sugi ban torching technique as one method of portraying a theme.
Designing a finish:
the options
Blackened burnt areas:
• Shou sugi ban
(scorching timber surface)
• ‘Japanning’ with black polish
• Ebonising with iron and vinegar
• Paint
Amber tones of dried leaves and foliage:
• Bare timber
• Pigmented finishes
• Ammonia
• Reddish resins
Texture of burnt surfaces and leaves on the ground:
• Intense shou sugi ban
• Carving
• Open grain finish
Stillness when the fire is over:
• Smooth soap finish • Wax only finish
• Full grain finish
• Matt finishes
Embers and flame:
• Gilding
• Gilding with a reddish wash
top coat
Regrowth:
3
Plan finishes at the start
The brief I set myself was to bring
the aesthetic of bushfire regrowth to woodworking. Since first moving to Australia, my partner and I have found a unique beauty in the way new life bursts from recently burned bushland. Whenever there has been a fire, we like to hike through the land and observe new bright green growth bursting from the deepest black.
The unprecedented bushfires were devastating this past fire season, but fire has been an important part of the Australian ecosystem for millennia. Certain plants don’t even propagate unless their seed pods reach a certain temperature.
As a woodworker, I wondered many times how I might bring this aesthetic into a design. Marquetry illustration was considered. Sculptural pieces could be made to resemble leaves growing from burned bark. In the
end I decided to take inspiration from the aesthetic without literally translating the subject matter. To get that aesthetic, I spent a lot of time thinking about different finishing techniques I could use.
I will often lay out the characteristics of my desired aesthetic or design needs against a set of known decorative techniques. From here, I can settle on what goes well together, and what I think best helps me
reach my goal. My starting point for planning these finishes is shown left.
More than one
Whatever your project or theme, your finishing should also be considered. This goes beyond the functionality
of ‘durable’ or ‘food safe’. It also goes beyond just settling on one finish
for every component. There are important practical considerations regarding object use as well as environmental concerns, but there are aesthetic considerations as well.
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Australian Wood Review
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Green pigmented polish Paint
Gilding with green foil The plants in the vases themselves