Hand-Stained Wood Grain

Who stains art into wood?

That was what I said to my husband in 2018 when he suggested I “stain” something interesting into a large dining room table that we had sanded down in order to refinish. His response was, “no one that I know of which is what makes it even better if it is a success!” I shrugged, opened a can of stain, thinned it with mineral spirits, and the rest is history.

Shortly after earning a BFA in Studio Art from NKU in 2001, life took shape with marriage, three children, and a career in business. The revitalization of an antique brought me back to the art almost two decades later, this time with a more unique medium and process. I have spent the last few years perfecting how different types of stains react with various kinds of wood, grits, and varnishes. I am captivated by staining art into raw wood surfaces and watching what emerges from the grain. The chemicals in the varnish change the color palette and depth dramatically during the finishing process, making the process almost as exciting as the finished product.

This life we are given is wild and precious and I use my art to capture some of those moments.