Naalehu woodworker Marcus Castaing’s piece “Guardians of the Heart,” a museum quality collector’s cabinet finished with various Hawaiian woods, took top honors at the Summer Wood Show 2012, Kawaihae-based Harbor Gallery announced this week.
Naalehu woodworker Marcus Castaing’s piece “Guardians of the Heart,” a museum quality collector’s cabinet finished with various Hawaiian woods, took top honors at the Summer Wood Show 2012, Kawaihae-based Harbor Gallery announced this week.
Castaing’s best-of-show cabinet is finished on all sides with instrument grade, fiddleback curly koa and features interior parts made of kamani and inside door panels made of iliahi, or sandalwood. The center drawers have book-matched grain that is reminiscent of a bird’s wings while the front panels on either side form a grain pattern shaped like a heart, acknowledging the name of the piece.
The Harbor Gallery’s Summer Wood Show 2012 wrapped up July 28 and ballots cast during the show have been counted to determine winners in four categories including turning, joinery, sculpture and open, as well as best of show. First place receives a $100 prize and best of show, $250 and bragging rights.
Turning refers to works that are mostly created on a lathe. Joinery refers to such things as inlay work, frames, boxes and furniture. Sculpture is where the majority of the work is carved or shaped. Open is for mixed entries in several genres, including kinetic pieces and entries that don’t fit into the other three categories.
Mike Riley of Volcano took first place in joinery for his Maloof-style curly koa rocking chair, which featured graceful lines and gorgeous wood. If there was a category for comfort, this piece would have also won that category.
John Mydock of Pahoa took first place in turning for his piece “Year of the Dragon,” which is turned from Norfolk pine and then burned free-hand, a technique called pyrography, with images of dragons and such on both the top and bottom surfaces.
The sculpture category was won by Don Craig of Ocean View for his 8-foot-tall, three-piece carving of five Hawaiian sea turtles. The silver oak piece features a base of curly koa that sits on the floor while two separate turtles hang from above.
The open category, which is the most diverse and features everything from box cameras to ukuleles, wood burned oil paintings and more, was won by David “Kawika” Gallegos. The Pahoa resident’s piece titled “Sunset/Moonset Triptych Screen,” is a unique Shoji screen that includes three panels. One side is a night scene of a wood-burned oil painting on koa wood and the other a day scene on mango wood.
Although the show is over, many pieces are still on display and available for sale at Harbor Gallery. The gallery is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and is located next to Cafe Pesto in the Kawaihae Harbor Shopping Center.
All 45 pieces from 21 different artists included in the Summer Wood Show can be found on the gallery’s website, harborgallery.biz.
The 2013 Winter Wood Show will be held Jan. 12 to Feb. 16 at Harbor Gallery. Hawaii Island woodworkers are encouraged to prepare and participate in the show, which draws more than 1,000 people.
For more information, visit the website above or call the gallery at 882-1510.