Elm Abstract Sculptures

Clark Derbes wood sculpture, 'Philip' 2012. Dimensions: 12"x1"x7" "Clark Derbes (b. 1978) is originally from New Orleans, LA. Derbes describes his work as "sculptures of paintings of...

‘Earthly Treasures No 31’ is a unique sculptural bowl by the British artist, Morrison Thomas. It is made from polarded Burr Elm inlaid with Malachite, Chrysocolla, Lapis Lazuli, Azurite and Gold. Morrison turns beautiful wooden spheres from damaged or diseased trees that have been felled as they can no longer survive. Using aged wood such as this, reveals cracks and crevices which the artist can inlay with precious minerals. The results are breathtaking. These take on the role of globes and are evocative of old maps. The minerals suggest undiscovered islands and continents. During Thomas’ time as a designer and maker of furniture it was usual practice to mask and hide any blemishes or cracks in the wood, however much like the Japanese art of Kintsugi (where ceramic breakages are repaired with gold and precious metals) Thomas highlights the anomalies in the wood by inlaying them with naturally formed colorful minerals, many taken from his personal collection which he still adds to. Recent visits to the ‘World Famous’ Blue John Mine and also a working Fluorspar mine in Derbyshire has meant new materials for future inlays. With the wood hard to find and unpredictable to turn, the resulting union of the Earth’s natural resources are patiently and skilfully jigsawed together, resulting in truly unique treasure-laden artworks. Is his own words: ‘The two mediums I combine both come directly from the Earth. The trees form and grow at the surface whilst the minerals can form at great depth. It is not unknown for some trees to have accumulated pieces of crystals in their roots. The thought of this combination of a substance formed during explosive episodes in the Earth millions of years ago with a gently formed living substance, which may have been growing for hundreds of years before finally coming to an end, is both exhilarating and intriguing. I think of it as a fusion between animate and inanimate, above and below the ground, naturally both beautiful, and without which, we as humans could not survive’ Morrison Thomas was born at New Inn Cottage in the tiny village of Charlton near Banbury, Oxfordshire. His father was a cabinet maker & carpenter who was also a wheelwright and blacksmith, as with many village craftsman of the time, he was skilled in all things. Keeping the family tradition, Thomas continued in his father’s footsteps and is a fourth generation woodworker. As a furniture designer & maker Thomas has exhibited his work in numerous high profile galleries and undertaken many prestigious commissions. He has written articles on woodworking with his work appearing in numerous publications. Previously the chairman of the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen and with a listing in Debrett’s Who’s Who, his achievements are many, especially in consideration that he received no formal training, with his skills obtained from observing and listening to his father. For many years Thomas designed and made contemporary furniture but mainly due to health reasons stopped making larger-scale works. With woodworking in his blood and a material he simply couldn’t stop creating with, he resumed his creative skills some years later by making unique hand-turned wooden vessels...

‘Earthly Treasures No 28’ is a unique sculptural bowl by the British artist, Morrison Thomas. It is made from burred English Elm inlaid with Chrysocolla, Malachite, Gold and Turquoise. Morrison turns beautiful wooden spheres from damaged or diseased trees that have been felled as they can no longer survive. Using aged wood such as this, reveals cracks and crevices which the artist can inlay with precious minerals. The results are breathtaking. These take on the role of globes and are evocative of old maps. The minerals suggest undiscovered islands and continents. During Thomas’ time as a designer and maker of furniture it was usual practice to mask and hide any blemishes or cracks in the wood, however much like the Japanese art of Kintsugi (where ceramic breakages are repaired with gold and precious metals) Thomas highlights the anomalies in the wood by inlaying them with naturally formed colorful minerals, many taken from his personal collection which he still adds to. Recent visits to the ‘World Famous’ Blue John Mine and also a working Fluorspar mine in Derbyshire has meant new materials for future inlays. With the wood hard to find and unpredictable to turn, the resulting union of the Earth’s natural resources are patiently and skilfully jigsawed together, resulting in truly unique treasure-laden artworks. Is his own words: ‘The two mediums I combine both come directly from the Earth. The trees form and grow at the surface whilst the minerals can form at great depth. It is not unknown for some trees to have accumulated pieces of crystals in their roots. The thought of this combination of a substance formed during explosive episodes in the Earth millions of years ago with a gently formed living substance, which may have been growing for hundreds of years before finally coming to an end, is both exhilarating and intriguing. I think of it as a fusion between animate and inanimate, above and below the ground, naturally both beautiful, and without which, we as humans could not survive’ Morrison Thomas was born at New Inn Cottage in the tiny village of Charlton near Banbury, Oxfordshire. His father was a cabinet maker & carpenter who was also a wheelwright and blacksmith, as with many village craftsman of the time, he was skilled in all things. Keeping the family tradition, Thomas continued in his father’s footsteps and is a fourth generation woodworker. As a furniture designer & maker Thomas has exhibited his work in numerous high profile galleries and undertaken many prestigious commissions. He has written articles on woodworking with his work appearing in numerous publications. Previously the chairman of the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen and with a listing in Debrett’s Who’s Who, his achievements are many, especially in consideration that he received no formal training, with his skills obtained from observing and listening to his father. For many years Thomas designed and made contemporary furniture but mainly due to health reasons stopped making larger-scale works. With woodworking in his blood and a material he simply couldn’t stop creating with, he resumed his creative skills some years later by making unique hand-turned wooden vessels...

A huge wood wall sculpture. Hand carved in a one piece of elm in the 1950 and signed J, TURPIN. Nice piece of art in the manner of Valentine Schlegel. ...

Abstract sculpture carved out of solid elm.

This 19th-century wooden farm cart wheel captivates with simple lines and wabi-sabi textures. The expressive grain of Chinese northern elm (yumu) is on full ...

This 19th-century wooden farm cart wheel captivates with simple lines and wabi-sabi textures. The expressive grain of Chinese northern elm (yumu) is on full ...

This antique Chinese headrest was crafted from elmwood and has a wonderfully smooth texture. It likely belonged to an upper-class individual t...

Large abstract curved wooden totem sculpture by R. van 't Zelfde (The Hague 1949), the Netherlands 1970s. Van 't Zelfde studied at the Academy...

Dated to the late 19th century, these unusual sculptural objects are martial arts props once used by a Peking opera troupe in traditional "martial plays" ...

Small wooden bowl made from burr elm hand produced by Mike Scott 'Chai'. Naturalistic shaped bowl with dish to the centre and decorative turning rings. T...

Made of Chinese northern elmwood, this smooth block of wood was once used by an upper-class woman as a headrest. The soft curve and height of the block not only supported her head an...