Working with the natural character of the wood can be a challenge, as it is the most dominant and critical element in the artwork. However, getting the right pitch and yaw of the stone is also paramount to the overall content or feeling expressed by the piece. Each work is accomplished through a delicate balance of unity and variety between seemingly opposite materials and directional forces. Receptive viewers are delighted with the finished product and appreciate the love and care given to each artwork.
Selecting and cleaning the wood is an early stage in Lonnie's creative process. It is done with fresh clean water and cleaning brushes. Stubborn dirt, sand, and dead wood are removed with wire brushes and dental tools. Lonnie uses traditional wood chisels and mallets to work in large areas, but details are often done with cutter tools attached to a Dremel.
Lonnie Rich
Retired Art Educator and Working Artist
In the Studio Working
Working inside my Pensacola studio is quiet different from the way I worked in my wood studio at East Bay in Navarre. In Pensacola, I have a more enclosed situation to protect the more delicate linen fabric of my music pieces. It's also much nicer to work inside in air conditioning during the hot, humid summer weather. I can't imagine sweating all over my music works.
My work tables are nice and big, affording me ample surface to lay out my entire project. It makes for a much better opportunity to step back from my work, and to take it all in visually. I am able to make adjustments, and to make sure my original inspiration is intact.
The beginning stage of He's the Lily of the Valley
(Above & Below) The mid-stages of Whispering Hope
