highly distressed

The wooden crate next to the wood stove at my Father's hunting camp that holds the firewood always makes me snicker.

Scrawled across the front in chicken scratch penmanship is the phrase...or should I say question: "Would Bocks?"

I can't justly say why I get the biggest kick out of this clever quip.

So, when I set out to aptly name my new distressed paintings on board with a kitschy catch phrase I came up short.

I tried names a plenty..attempting to use the same sly play on words...

Not an easy task.

The sad truth is the best I could come up with was "Bored Paintings".

Not quite the verbal aesthetic I was looking for.

So best to call it what it really is I say.

Paintings on wood.

A tad ho hum and Plain Jane....but a fact nonetheless.

I can't tell you the joy I get finding that perfect piece of wood...

Whether an old door panel, wide piece planking with beaded edging, slatted bee box lids, a chunky fraction of moulding... or just an oddly, misshapen slat of wood with worm holes and rough cut nails.

I love the idea of resuscitating some gem that someone in history had made by hand...

Even down to the simplest piece of wood that was hand-planed.

The icing on the cake for me is the final task of distressing the wood and hand waxing it.

I like to think of these new works as truly one of a kind....each with it's own story.