John Beach, Intarsia Artist

I started to teach myself intarsia woodworking in 2011 to help me get through nursing school and was instantly hooked.

Intarsia is a woodworking technique that involves inlaying different pieces of wood to create a 3-D - like picture. I carefully hand craft all my artwork from different wood species from all over the world. I select each piece of wood to use in each art piece based on the natural variations in wood grain and color to create depth and texture in each piece. I aim to preserve the natural colors of each piece of wood and do not stain or color anything.

Within each finished art piece are multiple (often hundreds) of individually cut, shaped, and sanded pieces of wood. First, I start with a pattern and I carefully select each piece of wood to use to create the image based on its color and grain pattern. The natural colors of wood can vary widely across the color spectrum, and I’ve acquired more than 100 different species over the last decade. I cut each piece by hand using a scroll saw (NO automated/CNC incorporated) and shape and sand using a variety of other tools. Each piece of wood is then carefully fit together like a high- tolerance jig-saw puzzle to create the three-dimensional looking murals, animals, trees, and more. When I first started, I used patterns from famous Intarsia artists like Judy Gale Roberts or Kathy Wise. Now, I create my own patterns and can transform an idea or picture into an Intarsia wood working mural or smaller piece.