PDX Airport Bench in Sycamore

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The sycamore that I used for the bench was given to me by Tom Willing whose son Charlie is a local arborist (Iron Mountain Tree Care). The design really flowed directly from the source materials ... I knew that I wanted to make a saddle seat, but the number of seats was determined by the length of the material, the depth of the curve on the back rest and the profile of the front edge of the bench were determined by the thickness of the material. (Ideally, I would have liked to start with thicker material so that those curves could be more dramatic, but sometimes you have to work with what you have.) I like to add texture to much of my work, so when I discovered that the legs were cast aluminum, I was excited to realize that I could carve them and introduce texture in an unexpected way. Astute observers will recognize the influence of artists such as Wendell Castle and Wharton Escherick in the lines of the armrest, table, and backrest.