Intarsia projects

[Mike Mathieu]

Don't know if any of you are into intarsia but here are a few pics of some of the projects that I recently completed.

This is my rendition of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello as it may have looked in 1800. It measures 20"x30" with a cherry frame inlaid with bloodwood and holly. Over 800 pieces from 17 different woods. No stains, paints or dyes are used in my intarsia.
http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww126/wdkits1/Monticello10-11-08resized002.jpg

This next pic is a 1953 Ford F100 pick-up that a customer in Texas had me make a pattern and a kit for. It is in an 11"x14" walnut frame with holly accent.There are 175 pieces from 13 different woods.
http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww126/wdkits1/1953F100finished013r.jpg

This is The Chariot, a commissioned piece that I did for an Italian restaurant.It is in a 20"x24" walnut frame. There are 300 pieces from 22 different woods.
http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww126/wdkits1/chariot-1.jpg

This is a set of intarsia coasters that I have been working on.
The coasters and the holder are walnut. The background is BE maple. The apple and the cherries are bloodwood. The leaves are poplar and the stems are walnut.The bananas are Pau-Amerillo with ebony. The grapes are Purpleheart with walnut stem.I still have to pour in the casting resin to seal and protect the inlays.
http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww126/wdkits1/coasters003.jpg

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww126/wdkits1/coasters002.jpg

Thanks for looking

[Ted Calver]

Mike,
These are fantastic!! Very, very creative and unique. Thanks for sharing and hope to see much more of your art!

[Karlan Talkington]

Nicely done, Mike. I must admit that intarsia is new to me but I am quickly becoming a fan.

[Jim Becker]

Very nice work, Mike!

[Brian Effinger]

Those are awesome, Mike. How long does it take you to complete one of the larger ones? How about the small coasters?

[Mike Mathieu]

Hi all thanks for the comments.
Brian to answer your question Monticello took about 150 hours, the truck took 30 hours , the chariot 100 hours and the coasters take about an hour apiece.Alot depends on the amount of detail carving that is involved.For instance Monticello has over 3000 bricks carved into the Bubinga and the cornices of holly also have fine details.

[John Grossi]

Mike, Terrific work. I had never heard of "intarsia" before. A quick search brought up a pretty good explanation on wikipedia. I also found a site called www.sawbird.com (http://www.sawbird.com). If you get a chance, could give us some information on the type of tools you used to create these pieces. Thanks John

[Mike Mathieu]

Hi John
Not counting the bandsaw,jointer,planer and routers that I use to mill out the frames, the only tools required to do intarsia are a scrollsaw,a rotory tool for carving and different sanders for shaping and contouring pieces. If anyone would be interested I have a tutorial that shows all of the steps that I use to create this type of art.Thanks

[John Olson]

Nice work Mike. Now we want to see birds and wild animals. Then a collection of flowers. That will teach you to have to much talent. LOL

[gary Zimmel]

Mike

Excellent work. Very unique pieces.

[Keith Starosta]

Mike, those are beautiful!!! I particularly love the choice of wood and grain for the sky in the Ford piece. Very, very nice work!

- Keith

[John Thompson]

Beautiful Mike.. It must require a great deal of patience to do a piece as these. I especially like "Monticello" as I have visited on several occasions and love everything about the house and grounds.

Keep up the excellent work and for me.. inspiration.

Sarge..

[Dennis Lopeman]

Wow - really cool!! I have seen this sort of thing before - like on a restaurant wall - and maybe at Woodcraft "library" section, too!

I always thought, that if you could do it without making it overbearing, that you could incorporate this sort of craft into furniture - perhaps lending itself rather nicely to rustic furniture for starters...

If you wanted a challenge, that is!

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it..."

:)

[Dennis Lopeman]

Like - take that truck for instance - you could create templates of it so you could knock it out faster, of course... but you could make it into boys furniture... on the side of a dresser or headboard... Princesses for girls... you see...

Birds, animals, trees, acorns - on a fireplace mantel for a cabin... coffee table with similar and a glass top (or flatten/smooth it out)

You see where I'm going with this?

Maybe that will inspire me to try it! Thanks for the brainstorm!

[Bruce Page]

It must take a stunning amount of patience to do that level of work.
Simply gorgeous.

[Chris Padilla]

Wow! Those are all SO COOL!! Fantastic pieces, Mike.

[Rod Sheridan]

Very nice Mike, that's what I do with my scraps, although not as nice as your pieces......Rod.

[Shekhar Malvadkar]

Wow simply beautiful!! Would love to take a look at the tutorial. Thanks for showing your work.

[John Grossi]

Mike, I went on your website, thinking the tutorial was there. Wrong. I also would like to view it. Thanks John

[John Keeton]

Mike, your work is pure art! Visited the website as well - very impressive. I have not done any true intarsia, but have done some similar overlay type work - and I can certainly appreciate the hours and hours that you put into these projects.

[ed mirzay]

Great work Mike!

I played around with Intarsia a couple years back (nothing like what you've done). The most frustrating part for me was finding "just the right piece" for for the components. For instance the sky in your Monticello and truck pieces, the grain has to be just right and in just the right places to fit with the rest and still look like a sky. I was surprised at just how much wood I could consume to make what are, when compared to furniture, small pieces.

[Dave Kelly]

Mike, very nice, I saw your workshop on another area of smc and I'm not surprised at the quality of your work. Please provide your tutuorial, I would like to give this a try.

[Dave Kelly]

Mike, very nice, I saw your workshop on another area of smc and I'm not surprised at the quality of your work. Please provide your tutuorial, I would like to give this a try.

[Jeff Mohr]

I'd like the tutorial as well...very NICE work. WOW!!

[Drew Lavis]

Dennis -
I always thought, that if you could do it without making it overbearing, that you could incorporate this sort of craft into furniture - perhaps lending itself rather nicely to rustic furniture for starters...
When I joined SMC I posted pictures of intarsia incorporated into a coffee table. If you search this forum for "intarsia table" you should find it.

Amazing stuff, Mike. I have a long-running interest in intarsia (though nothing close to your patience and talent). It's a great way to show off the versatility and natural beauty of wood, and very fulfilling in its execution when you find that perfect grain pattern or tweak a piece to a perfect fit.