I really pushed into art as an escape from my day job. I really wanted to create something with my hands – to be able to point at a thing and say, “I made that.” I can’t say that I got into it with any clear plan or focus. I just kind of wanted to work on whatever brought me joy in the moment.

That never really worked out. I made big abstract pieces and kept throwing paint at canvas (or, more often than not, leftover wood from DIY projects from around the house) and it just never really went anywhere. Well, the paint went all over the floor but a lot of those paintings are still hanging on my own wall. Some were donated to the Goodwill during my last move.

Which means that I’ve reached the next phase of my art cycle: functional art.

Basically, I have to stop creating stuff that fills my walls and start focusing on things that can be useful in some other way. Enter: woodworking.

The first project that I took on, in terms of building something from scratch, was a pair of benches for our dining table. We needed something to go at the end of the dining table but could also slide completely underneath so it wouldn’t take up any more floor space than necessary.

It was a pretty simplistic build: 4×4 leg posts, 2×2 cross bars, and a top constructed with 2x2s in the pattern you see in the pictures. Everything is held together with pocket screws, keeping them hidden, and it was topped off with a natural looking stain and black paint. (And a couple layers of polycrylic for protection.)

These benches weren’t particularly artistic since I had to match the vibe of existing chairs but I quickly moved on to another project: plant stands.

This project was constructed with 2x2s for support and 1/2″ plywood for the circle bases. (Cutting circles = not fun, by the way.)

I felt like this project really captured what I was going for. It’s more artistic in that it’s painted like a galaxy – the posts are black with a glitter modpodge (to look like stars) and each circle is painted shades of red and orange – looking a lot like planets. And even though it’s fun to look at, it’s functional.

This probably isn’t life altering or really going to change my artistic success, but you know, I’m excited to be learning a new skill and finding more ways to make my life more artistic.

I have a lot to learn and I’ll probably try to share along the way so if you want to see something specific, feel free to reach out and let me know.