Who am I?

My name is Becky Barnes, and I enjoy painting pictures with wood.  I am a full-time Wife, Mother, and Paleontologist.  I come from a family of artists – each with their own unique talents. Seamstresses, goldsmiths, ceramics, painters, tattooists, mead-makers, mechanics, and carpenters. As a young child, I remember visiting my grandparents, going downstairs to my grandfather’s wood shop to raid his scrap bin. Those chunks of pine and oak made the BEST building blocks. As the years passed, he would allow me to sit in the corner (there was a special red stool) and watch him work. He was a quiet man, but he would occasionally rattle off tidbits of information or techniques, quizzing me on why he was doing something a certain way. Occasionally  he would ask for “help” holding something.  More years passed, and I would drop by – “Hey Grandpa! Can I use your saw?” He would always manage to find a project nearby, in case I had questions.

In 2011 I decided to make wooden wall plaques for friends and family as favors at my wedding. It seemed completely out of the blue, but I fell in love with the detail, the dust, the smell of each type of wood – as I worked with my scroll saw, it felt like Grandpa was looking over my shoulder.

So what do I do?

I love the look of stained glass, and finding a wood medium with a similar result is perfect.  I prefer working with the two dimensional format, using different colors of wood to give it the feel of three dimensional artwork – also called intarsia (not to be confused with fiber-arts intarsia).  This is simply my personal take on a style.  With a few exceptions (such as green poplar)…I do not stain the wood – I only use a clear finish over the top to let the natural beauty of each species of tree stand out.  Some woods are picked for color, others for rarity, some for meaning, and of course some for affordability.  A fresh-sealed piece will not have the end colors of an aged piece.  Because of this, I have aged pieces of each tree-type to better gauge my colors.

Every design you see in the gallery is an original pattern.  Sometimes drafting a pattern ends up being the most time-consuming portion of the project.  If a design is for a pet portrait, that pattern will only be used once.  Other designs may be used many times, with similar or different species of wood.  Regardless each piece is truly unique, as every tree has different grains and textures.  Each piece of my wood puzzle is cut by hand using a scroll saw.  No CNC computer programs, no laser fitting – just me.  That’s half the fun. Especially now in the world of AI “artwork” running rampant, I find the process of creating things to be the most enjoyable. 

I’ve been dabbling lately with epoxy resins in combination with woods, and love the contrast of metals, bone, shell, and stone against my woodworking. 

Where does the wood come from?

I try to use as much reclaimed wood as I can.  Some comes from old flooring or wall paneling.  Pallets can be dismantled.  Maybe a friend has a tree that needs to be cut down.  What I can’t get from recycling, I purchase from local hardwood stores.