As he does in therapy, restoring a patient’s natural way of doing things, so they are more themselves, Frank’s passion for art takes the same approach. Plywood, once a tree, can be transformed to return it to a state of beauty. Yet plywood is a medium not many artists tap into.

He is fascinated by the grains of the wood. Seeing the variance in the grains carry through the elongated pieces. The natural coloring creates movement and depth.

The marks in the sting ray are the glue that hold the layers of wood together. Using a dark colored glue, the curvature of the shapes are emphasized when cut at an angle to reveal the dark striations…something you don’t get with other mediums.

There is an unpredictability to the process. When you start to shape it you don’t know how the patterns will show through. Most of the interesting things that happen in wood sculpting are accidental.

Burlwood is another favorite medium. It is actually an arial root that grows on the tree above ground. As it grows it curls back on itself. The result is natural twists and turns in the colors and grains. An organic texture that can take a piece in many different directions.

When I choose a piece of burlwood I spend time with the raw wood, turning it in my hands to see what it will unveil to me…something familiar with the potential for transformation.