Based near Broadford in the south of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, I specialise in making and selling small, high quality turned wooden boxes. They range from pure and simple designs to more ornamented pieces. I aim for a perfectly formed little piece of artwork, for display as an accent piece. Not many people use them to store things in!
This particular box features a lid which has been hand carved into a open spiral. The outside of the box has been finished with several coats of an ebonising lacquer and polished with wax to a deep, black lustrous sheen. The internal face of the spiral has been left matt to contrast with the sheen of the external face.
The aim was to focus on the form of the box, without being distracted by the wood grain pattern. The inside of the box was deliberately not ebonised to create a gorgeous contrast of natural wood, revealed when the box is opened. The lime wood used to make the box is pale yellow and the interior shows this off by using 3 separately applied and buffed coats of a low sheen soft wax finish. The natural wood and ebonising colour contrast has been exploited in the design by cutting fine grooves through the external lacquer coating, to create a decorative detail.
The inside and outside of the box have been buffed with a soft cloth to create a tactile, little treasure.
