Statement

Wood Mosaics

"My intention is to bring the warmth and beauty of natural wood into the living space with patterns that reveal a combination of random and intentional placement."

Originally from Vancouver, Wes has lived in various locations in Western Canada and now makes his home in Mission BC. Travel has been a big part of his life including time spent working on freighters out of Hamburg, Germany. Wes is a journeyman joiner who has operated a successful cabinet and furniture studio and is also a qualified instructor who occasionally teaches joinery. He also founded the Fraser Valley Woodworker's Guild.

Wes has always enjoyed sketching and painting and was looking for an exciting and innovative way to combine his artistic practice with his love of wood. In 1998 Wes made his first mosaic wall hanging out of wood. Inspired by the venerable tradition of quilts and quilt-making, Wes used this as a template for some of his early wood mosaics. He no longer uses the quilt as a model but has moved on to more abstract designs. Wes has said "I'm constantly surprised by the new ideas that I want to explore. Where do these ideas come from? I really don't know, but it often seems as tho they come from somewhere outside of myself. My job is to pay attention when they come knocking."

Wes has worked with aniline dyes and various stains but he prefers the natural colour of wood on his palette. His mosaics are made from more than fifty species of both local woods such as Walnut and Maple as well as exotics like Wenge, Canary, Bloodwood, Purple Heart, Zebra and many others. The tiny wooden tiles are mounted on a fabric backing leaving the finished mosaic unexpectedly flexible.

All of Wes Giesbrecht's work is finished in oil and will last indefinitely without any special care. A light coat of any furniture oil can be applied with a soft cloth but isn't really necessary.