Old Church Art Gallery Moore

This natural-edged carved form was created from a slab of Narrow-Leaved Ironbark, Eucalyptus crebra, which grows in Eastern Australia from Picton in the south to Cairns in the north.  It grows up to 35m in height and 1m in diameter.  It is an important source of nectar for honey bees and is widely used for construction timber.

The slab was the first piece taken from a log that had a curve in it.  It was destined for the firewood heap before I rescued it. I could see the potential in the natural dug-out canoe shape of the piece.  My mates always referred to the slab as Ken’s canoe so I had little choice but to carve a canoe-like form.

I removed very little timber from the outside so the brown sapwood is retained.  Both the sapwood and the red heart wood show signs of  “scribbly moth” larvae infestation.

Dimensions: 1560mm Long x 360mm Wide x 80mm High

PRICE: SOLD

This suspended lidded box contains three timbers; Huon Pine from Australia, Purple Heart from South America, and Ebony from Africa/India.  These regions were once joined together in the ancient super continent; “Gondwanaland”. 

The box support was made from Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) an extremely slow growing tree (10- 20m high, 0.6 – 1.2m diameter) found only in the south-western corner of Tasmania.  It a very oily timber very resistant to rot and has been used extensively in boat building.  The box was made from Purple Heart (Peltogyne spp.), a large tree (30 – 50m high, 1 – 1.5m diameter) native to northern regions of South America.  Its timber has been used for flooring and fine joinery.  The finials on the box were turned from Ebony (Diospyros spp.) which is now in very short supply and many countries have banned its logging and export.  This ebony was recycled from an old black piano key.

Approximate Dimensions: 90mm Diameter x 110mm High

PRICE: $350

This turned “Diamond Bowl” was created from a block of Huon Pine, Lagarostrobos franklinii.  Huon Pine is a medium to tall softwood growing only in wetter areas of South West Tasmania. It is an extremely slow growing tree reaching a maximum height of 38m and a diameter of 1.9m. 

Huon Pine is a very stable timber and has been extensively used in fine furniture making and boat building where its resistance to decay and attack by marine organisms is of great benefit. 

The harvesting of Huon Pine is now restricted to felled timber some of which is recovered from areas submerged  by dam water.

Approximate Dimensions: 185mm Diameter x 70mm High

PRICE: $200

This lidded bowl was made from timbers from three Australian states; Huon Pine from Tasmania, Scented Rosewood from New South Wales, and Jarrah from Western Australia.  

The bowl was made from Jarrah, Eucalyptue marginarta, burl.   Burls are  the knobbly lump often seen on Australian trees.  They form in response to an injury or an attack by fungus or a virus.  Burls can contain cracks, inclusions and small branches as seen in this example. 

The lid was turned from Huon Pine, Darcydium franklini, an extremely slow growing softwood only found in South Western Tasmania.  It is used for fine furniture, joinery and boat building.

The finial was turned from Scented Rosewood Dysoxylum fraseranum, a large rainforest tree growing in the northern regions of New South Wales.  Rosewood has been as a construction timber and for joinery.  It is now used mainly for fine furniture, carving and turning.

Approximate Dimensions: 160mm High x 150mm Diameter

PRICE: $250

For this Treasure Box I chose two sharply contrasting timbers, Rosewood and Huon Pine.

Rosewood or New South Wales Scented Rosewood, Dysoxylum fraseranum, is a large rainforest tree growing in the mid to northe-eastern coastal regions of New South Wales.  It grows up to 40m in height and can have a girth of 1.5m.  The timber is used for joinery, fine furniture and carving.

Huon Pine, Dacrydium franklinii, is a medium to tall softwood growing only in wetter areas of South West Tasmania. It is an extremely slow growing tree reaching a maximum height of 38m and a diameter of 1.9m. 

Huon Pine is a very stable timber and has been extensively used in fine furniture making and boat building where its resistance to decay and attack by marine organisms is of great benefit. 

The harvesting of Huon Pine is now restricted to felled timber some of which is recovered from areas submerged  by dam water.

Approximate Dimensions: 55mm Diameter x 185mm High

PRICE: $650

This shallow platter was created from a slab of Australian River Red Gum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, burl.  River Red Gum is the most widely naturally distributed of the eucalyptus species occurring throughout the Australian interior along water courses.  It can grow to heights of 45m.  River Red Gum is naturally resistant to rot and has been widely used for fencing and railway sleepers.  In the days of paddle steamers huge quantities of River Red Gum, an excellent firewood, were felled to fuel these ships.

Burls are the knobbly growths seen on many trees and probably result from stress, for example viral or fungal attack.  Within a burl the grain becomes twisted and voids can form as can be observed in this specimen.

Approximate Dimensions: 430mm Diameter x 45mm High

PRICE: $350

This natural-edged carved form was created from a piece of NSW Scented Rosewood (Rosewood, Rosewood Mahogany) Dysoxylum fraseranum.  Rosewood is a large tree which grows in the rain forests of the mid to north-eastern coast of NSW.  It grows up to 40m in height and 1.5m in diameter.  As the name suggests the timber is very fragrant.

A callus forms on a tree when a branch dies.  Bark overgrows the branch stump  and new timber forms under this bark.  Sometimes, as seen in this example, small branches grow out of the callus for a short period of time.  The original branch can be seen as a light coloured ring in the base of the form.  Small swirls near the original branch site show the location of the small branches.

The outside of the piece has been left in its natural state to contrast with the deep colour and smooth finish of the interior.

Approximate Dimensions: 720mm Long x 300mm Wide x 120mm High

PRICE: $650

This thin-walled shallow bowl was made from a lump of Camphor Laurel, Cinnamonomum camphora. 

Camphor Laurel is a large hardwood native to India and China.  It can reach a eight of 30m and a diameter of 1.2m.  It has established itself well, in fact too well, in northern New South Wales and Queensland where it has overtaken native species.  In some shires it is designated as a weed. 

Approximate Dimensions: 260mm Diameter x 35mm High

PRICE: $150