Tom Smith – Artist
Tom is a self-taught artist from the Nottinghamshire countryside who makes handmade wooden sculptures that are inspired by nature using the natural characteristics of a wide range of responsibly sourced hardwoods.
Tom first works on his designs then lays them out on the wood
In 2014 Tom’s work made it to the final round of judging in the David Shepherd Wildlife Trust Wildlife Artist of the Year and was included in the competition catalogue.
Individual layers are then glued up and finished with white polish
His work has also been featured in Craft & Design Magazine and on Nottinghamshire TV where he was interviewed live on the 6:30 Show.
Dry fitting the wenge details in the feathers
Finished life size Barn Owl on Tom’s bench in his workshop
The technique Tom uses is called “intarsia”, which involves using pieces of wood of different size, shape and species which are stuck together to create something similar to a mosaic with an illusion of depth.
Goshawk Feather
The different pieces of wood are carefully selected for their colour, grain pattern and texture so that there is no need for paint or stain. All of the colours you see are the natural colours of the woods.
Various feathers
After carefully selecting the woods, each individual piece is cut, shaped and finished with white polish both to protect the wood and enhance the natural characteristics. Areas of the pattern are raised or lowered to create more depth.
Large Barn Owl Feather
The final part of the process for Tom is to glue all the individual pieces together; a bit like a jigsaw.
We are now showcasing this amazing life size Barn Owl in Heart Gallery
We are delighted to be showcasing Tom’s work as part of our The Way Through The Woods Exhibition, Summer 2015. His work is stunning and he is such a perfectionist with every piece thought through from design to completion with precision.
Tom and myself with a selection of his amazing work at the launch of our Summer 2015 Exhibition The Way Through The Woods, 16th July 2015
Here are some of Tom’s videos shot whilst making his large Barn Owl feather you can see on the Heart Gallery wall behind us and I know you will find them really interesting:
