Untitled Mesquite

HAYLEY SMITH Material and TechniqueMesquite, AcrylicTurned, Carved, Scorched, PaintedWall-mounted with a key-hole plate on back for installation14” Dia x 2 1/2” DAbout The WorkWorking in Mesquite was a new challenge for me. The wood for this wall piece was cut from a thirty year old board. Often treated as a weed tree, Mesquite's attributes are many. It is well suited to my work as it's dimensionally stable, holds the crispest of details, and burns beautifully with a blow torch. Fire and wood are inseparable elements. Sweet smelling when worked, Mesquite is hard on tools and woodworkers. Given the harsh conditions it often grows in, that only seems fair. The carved surface is a signature texture in my work. Inspired by an eroded rock face I saw while hiking in the "wonderland of rocks" that is the Chiricahua National Monument in the county where I live. I was fascinated by the holes in the rock, how they were interconnected and allowed the light to shine through. When we see things, ne