Jeffrey Nelson

After the design is created it is finally tweaked into a fine line graphic drawing. I decide on the wood combinations (and some other material: such as mother-of-pearl, web turquoise, stone are incorporated). I purchase the woods from several veneer sources throughout the country. The veneers and other materials are cut with many tools. The veneers are approximately 1/16 of an inch, so they are very fragile and we need to be delicate with each piece as we lay the pieces down. The pieces are individually cut according to a blueprint that I make from original rough sketches as the initial stage. After I lay the pieces down, they are adhered with wood cement to a MDF board (the same material as the furniture industry uses for tables). I then sand the pieces for a smooth finish. The work is then pressed to give even pressure and eliminate any possibility of warping or unevenness. The pieces are finished with an acetate urethane (lacquer) and a semi-gloss finish. The frames are made of maple or cheery. I purchase the woods in strips and then I have a molding machine to shape the wood for the framing. I work with a few other artisans as we share in the craftsmanship and critique each other’s designs so as to get the best in each of us.