Materials & Techniques: Walnut

This piece of walnut was an offcut from another project. I threw it in the trash and then did a double take. I loved the way the wood combined knot holes with insect damage and discoloration from spalting, (which is discoloration from fungal or bacterial growth in the living tree). I took the piece out of the trash, sculpted it, sanded it, and finished it. The result is a gorgeous reminder of how some of life’s hardest circumstances can produce beauty through perseverance. I gave it to my wife on our anniversary.