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Let's all hope we get the opportunity to do something we love to make a living. That's exactly what artist Jim Everett has found himself doing with intarsia. Intarsia is a form of wood inlaying that uses different shapes and sizes of wood pieces that are fitted together to create a mosaic with a three-dimensional effect.
Everett discovered the art form while browsing through the pages of Wood Magazine when an article on intarsia caught his eye. He then turned his lifetime love of sketching and woodworking into an art form like intarsia and was most recently featured in the June issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine. What began with a pattern from the pages of Wood Magazine has been transformed into a labor of love that not only provides a supplemental income, but also inspires Everett with new ideas every day.
Everett creates everything from exquisitely rustic furniture and front doors to custom kitchen cabinets and relief carvings, sought after dicor options you might find in a mountain house retreat. If you can imagine it, Everett can create it.
"My inspiration comes from the challenge of using the choices of color and texture that the Lord provides in red cedar. Even the knots, when properly used, make perfect renditions of eyes in animals and people alike," says Everett. He has been busy with is art for twelve years, and now finds himself wishing he had more time in the day to complete more pieces.
"Outside of time, the other challenge is to create a piece for my client that will surpass their expectations. While interviewing a client, I try to feel - from what they say and through their actions - just what it will take to create a little joy in their lives and draw an emotional response," said Everett. "I feel really blessed to have been given the talent to create this form of artwork." He has always enjoyed being an artist through sketching and painting, but discovered his true passion and talent through intarsia. "I have tried sketching, watercolors, oils, and acrylics, and none of them give me as much pleasure or satisfaction and self-worth as my intarsia-inspired form of art," adds Jim.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of Everett's art is that it's done in cedar. Cedar woods won't deteriorate, so art pieces can become heirlooms that are often passed on to future generations. And as time goes by, cedar takes on a patina, making it look more antique with rich deep tones as each year passes, allowing the art to age gracefully.
Some of Everett's art is available at Cedar Mountain Rustic Furniture, located on Highway 20 in Cumming, but larger pieces are commissioned six to eight weeks ahead of time. "About ninety percent of my work is commissioned, and creations can take anywhere from three weeks to six months depending on the size, subject matter, and most of all, the degree of difficulty," said Everett.
After spending over 18 years in the Forsyth County area, Jim and his wife have recently moved to a new home just over the Tennessee border. Still with many ties to this area, however, Jim makes frequent trips to his old stomping grounds to visit friends and family, and old and new clients alike.
If you are looking to give a unique holiday gift, now is the time to contact this unique wood maker with your ideas. If you let your imagination go, Everett can catch it and turn it into an unforgettable gift that will last forever.
The best way to get started on inspiring your own idea for Everett to create is by visiting his Web site. There, you can view his portfolio featuring everything from beds and cabinets to dressers and wall hangings, each practically tell their own story though the captivating art work of his form of intarsia.
Knock on wood; if you start now, it will be done just in time for the holidays!
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