About Us

ABOUT 

Spirit of the Wood is the work of woodturning artist, Pete Thompson who works from a small rural workshop in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Each piece is unique and hand-crafted from pieces of 'wild' British hardwoods and is a blend of craft, creativity and art.

MY APPROACH

I create woodturned vernacular art. Every piece is the result of the individuality that comes from a combination of the maker’s craft and natural, local materials which carry their own distinctive character. The wood mostly comes from the wild - responsibly foraged from woodlands or given by tree surgeons and saved from burning or chipping. What some might call imperfections in the timber are celebrated – they are the tree’s signature left in the wood. 

Long before I begin a project, I study the wood to see what form is suggested. What results will not only expose the beautiful grain patterns on the outside, but also delve deep into the life of the tree as written in the years, decades or even centuries of growth rings, knots, and any checks, faults or damage that can be seen - from the very heart of the wood to its outer bark. 

So each creation becomes a reaffirmation of the artist's physical and spiritual connection to the land and locality.
 

MATERIALS, FORMS & FINISHES

I use mostly British native or naturalised hardwood that has grown locally, so each piece has a special connection with the landscape it comes from. Much of it is dead or fallen timber from the wild or has been given by tree surgeons and  might otherwise have been scrapped or burned. 

The characteristics of the wood are paramount. Seasoned wood is more stable, whilst ‘green’ or freshly cut timber will crack and twist in the most exciting manner as it dries. 

Mine are pieces which are deceptively simple in form but which take time and patience to create. The object of the exercise is to bring out something that is already there – latent but just discernible. Sometimes an idea will emerge as I’m working. At other times I will recreate shapes suggested by pottery, be it prehistoric, classical or ancient Chinese or Japanese. Gradually, these blend with the wood's natural features and there emerges a unique intrinsic beauty that is a pleasure to handle as well as look at. 

I don’t like to suffocate the wood with layer upon layer of synthetic varnish. Instead, I prefer a couple of light applications of natural wax beeswax. This allows the wood to breathe and continue to develop; in effect, to continue to have a life of its own and exude its unique spirit.

That life, I would like to believe, enhances ours. And that spirit combines harmoniously with our own.
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