Not every adventure begins underground... but once you've experienced the hidden world of caves, it's hard to forget.
The quiet beauty of stalactites, stalagmites, delicate draperies, and even the wonderfully named "cave bacon" has a way of staying with you long after you return to the surface.
"Formation Carabiner" captures a glimpse of that underground world through a familiar piece of gear. Stalactites and stalagmites slowly reach toward one another while layered cave formations transform this wooden carabiner into a portal to places few people ever have the chance to see.
Working on wood has its own challenges. Because it's naturally porous, paint can bleed or wick into the grain. Preserving the contrast between the natural wood and the painted areas took some experimenting, but I'm really happy with the technique I've developed. Each wooden carabiner begins as a hand-drawn illustration before being carefully cut, sanded, painted, and sealed by hand. The natural grain of the birch plywood becomes part of the finished artwork, ensuring that every original has its own character and subtle variations.
Once the painting is complete, I apply multiple protective coats of water-based polyurethane to preserve both the artwork and the natural beauty of the wood for years to come.
Details
Original hand-painted artwork
Acrylic on hand-cut birch plywood
Approximately 10" tall × 6" wide
Ready to hang with an attached sawtooth hanger
Titled, signed, and dated on the back
Suitable for indoor display (outdoor exposure will shorten the life of the finish)
Every original tells its own story through the warmth of wood, the texture of paint, and the adventures that inspired it. No two will ever be exactly alike.
Not every adventure begins underground... but once you've experienced the hidden world of caves, it's hard to forget.
The quiet beauty of stalactites, stalagmites, delicate draperies, and even the wonderfully named "cave bacon" has a way of staying with you long after you return to the surface.
"Formation Carabiner" captures a glimpse of that underground world through a familiar piece of gear. Stalactites and stalagmites slowly reach toward one another while layered cave formations transform this wooden carabiner into a portal to places few people ever have the chance to see.
Working on wood has its own challenges. Because it's naturally porous, paint can bleed or wick into the grain. Preserving the contrast between the natural wood and the painted areas took some experimenting, but I'm really happy with the technique I've developed. Each wooden carabiner begins as a hand-drawn illustration before being carefully cut, sanded, painted, and sealed by hand. The natural grain of the birch plywood becomes part of the finished artwork, ensuring that every original has its own character and subtle variations.
Once the painting is complete, I apply multiple protective coats of water-based polyurethane to preserve both the artwork and the natural beauty of the wood for years to come.
Details
Original hand-painted artwork
Acrylic on hand-cut birch plywood
Approximately 10" tall × 6" wide
Ready to hang with an attached sawtooth hanger
Titled, signed, and dated on the back
Suitable for indoor display (outdoor exposure will shorten the life of the finish)
Every original tells its own story through the warmth of wood, the texture of paint, and the adventures that inspired it. No two will ever be exactly alike.
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