Made to be used.
Hi, I'm Zeb.
I was born in Cornwall and am currently living between Portugal's Algarve and the North East of Scotland. After years spent traveling, chasing sun, surf and snow around the world, I have found time to slow down, and finally found a way to fully express my creativity. My passion, and where I can find most focus and peace, is creating with my hands. Specifically at the moment, in green wood carving.
I have always been inspired by nature. The intricate details in plants and trees all around us, the glassy reflections on the ocean's surface shimmering as the day begins, or when the sun lights up the sky in pinks, oranges, purples and blues, dancing around the clouds in every shape you could imagine. Appearing still when you look at it, yet constantly changing, fluid and in motion.
I have often looked up at such scenes in awe, and thought "I wish I could paint that well. I wish I could capture a photo of that as good as it really is, but not even if I dedicated my entire life to it I could not compete with that. I will never be as great an artist as nature itself"
I tried many mediums of art over the years and never found one that felt right, felt like I could express what I wanted to with it. But now I believe that I have found it.
Now I work with nature. I don't try to compete with it or recreate it's beauty. I borrow that beauty, use it as decoration, and show off it's details. All I really do is shape it into something useful, in a way that allows people to look and appreciate, what was already there. And when we're finished with our spoon, our bowl, our wooden scoop, after years of use and love, when it's ready, it will eventually return to the earth, to biodegrade and become part of the ground for new trees to grow from again.
If you're going to use an object everyday, it might as well be something beautiful,
something you love, something that feels great in your hands and makes you smile. Maybe it will make those daily activities that bit more enjoyable. Cooking your favourite dish, serving up lunch for friends, your morning coffee ritual, hot soup shared round the fire, that healthy breakfast to make you feel good.
I aim to create functional pieces of art, rich with texture and colour that show off nature's most wonderful material.
Every item is unique, and is carved using hand tools and methods that have been around for hundreds of years, no noisy machines, electricity or chemicals, just what I can do with my hands and a sharp edge. I collect the wood myself from woodlands in my local area, taking only what materials can be spared, fallen branches and toppled trees. I get to see the whole process, from the source to the finished product.
Each piece is finished with a natural food safe oil (currently an organic Hempseed oil and Beeswax mix). This oil absorbs into the wood and then cures and hardens, leaving a tough water and heat resistant finish. It enhances the colour of the wood and you are left with a hard wearing, washable, food safe product. You can top up your woodenware with an extra coat of oil or wax every year or so to keep them looking fresh.
To see previous work and more behind the scenes of the making process head over to my instagram! @carvingsurfer
Thanks for looking!
