The Marquetry Shack
Marquetry, especially pictorial marquetry, but also any other veneer work e.g. signs, coats of arms and large artistic panels.
Contact
STOCKPORT
England
SK4 3RQ
About
My name is Ian Smith, based in Manchester, UK, and I create bespoke marquetry pictures from photographs, art work, or your or my own designs. Every picture is unique, taking advantage of the wonderful tones and contrasts that can only be achieved through natural wood veneers.
All my work is produced using traditional hand cutting methods (the "window" method). I do not use a laser as the work I do specialises in hand production. I have a vast stock of veneers and I see the art of marquetry as using the natural grain of wood and the tones it can create. I am responsible for the whole artistic process from design, choice of veneers, cutting, laying and finishing.
I exhibit and sell regularly in the UK and the USA and take on commissions from around the world. Most of my work is based on my own photographs but I am happy to consider customers’ themes or photographs. I will let you know whether they will work in wood - quotations and preliminary discussions are free!
What makes my work unique is my artistic approach, which uses representational art as a medium for delivery of a range of contemporary subjects, usually based on my own photographs. In fact Piyush Suri, founder of Handmade in Britain, describes it as "heritage skills with a contemporary twist", and my aim is to enhance the profile of marquetry, which is a dying art, by making it relevant to modern life.
Although I specialise in pictorial marquetry I am happy to respond to any requests. Examples include the production of signs of all sizes, coats of arms and larqe artistic panels.
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