Featherwood

Inspired by Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.

In the novel, the feather serves as a metaphor for people like Ellen, who are often overlooked, delicate, lost and discarded. The featherwood represents the idea that the lost can be gathered and appreciated for their individual beauty.

Theo gives Ellen woodworking tools as a gift, giving her a renewed sense of purpose and validation. I hope my work, inspired by the novel’s themes of creative generosity and noticing the small, beautiful details of everyday life, contributes to creating a space to remember the blessings we gain in those small acts.

I chose the shape of this particular piece so I could leave a portion of the bark along a small part of the piece, while sanding and exposing the raw, beautiful and unique woodgrain beneath the bark along the rest. My hope is that this will remind others of the value beneath the outer surface we all possess. I shaped it by hand, avoiding the aim of uniformity, to remain true to the uniqueness and perfect imperfection within each of us.

The delicate wooden feather was carved from scrap left from my initial shaping. Given the chance, the discarded can be repurposed and valued, to enhance our lives in small but impactful ways.

Your Featherwood is finished with a coat of tung oil, an all-natural, plant-based drying oil. No special recoating or additional treatment is needed.

As a gift, a Featherwood piece serves to remind us how small acts can develop into valued friendships and experiences. I’m so happy to create a piece that expresses this generosity of the heart, love and appreciation.