By Melina Paris, Contributing Writer
Soft lines and smooth finishes make Harold Greene’s woodwork more than a labor of carpentry; they are works of art.
Green has exhibited four extraordinary pieces at this year’s WestEdge Design Fair at Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar Oct. 19 to 22. In its fifth year, WestEdge Design Fair showcases the latest collections from established brands to independent designers.
The furniture designer, restorer and craftsman’s woodwork pieces are artistic, functional and lush. Finding new use for recovered wood and refurbishing pieces has always been a large part of Greene’s works. His unique outdoor settee made of American elm for the bench, ash on the sides and sycamore wood for the ribbed backing were all found within five miles of Green’s home.
A chair made of Brazilian pepper is one example of his work. It has a rich, red brown color. Greeen added an extra touch that highlighted the grooves in the wood in such a way that it simulates the exotic markings of a tiger.
Another sample of his artistry is an outdoor chaise lounge made of cedar of Lebanon. Its soft flowing lines and light honey color conjure up a poolside and call out to you to recline in its warmth. Green said that the lounge will be reproduced for poolside use at hotels and resorts.
His newest piece finished only a week prior to the show is an entry door. He crafted it from ash wood for the frame and Port Orford cedar for the panel. It’s made with mortise and tenon joints within the frame making it very strong. He joked that the door will probably outlast the house it goes to. It features a clean bamboo plant design on the front.
Port Orford cedar grows only on the coast of southern Oregon and northern California. It’s a valuable wood that is described as durable, easy to work, aromatic and pleasingly textured. But there’s another reason Greene may be familiar with it. The wood is also acceptable for use in stringed instruments. Its fine grain, good strength and tonal quality are highly regarded for soundboards in guitar making. And Greene, who is a musician, is also known to make instruments.
The door on display took just two weeks to make. Greene’s hand chiseling to the panel gives it texture, then he just added shellac. The door itself is extremely smooth. It has a calming quality to it and a light buttery tint.
His inspiration for the bamboo design comes from his affinity to present nature themes in his work. He has two more doors he’s done recently. One has an underwater scene and the other has a cliff scene and an ocean floor for texture. For that, he used a Torrey pine.
Greene’s work will be in a show at the University of Riverside called, Art Is a Lie, with an emphasis on materials artists use to make their work. Greene’s chaise lounge will be featured in that show. The Brazilian pepper chair is in another show in North Carolina’s Bascom Institution called American Craft Today.
Details: www.antiquesofthefuture.net; www.westedgedesignfair.com