Ross Thompson , Cocktail Cabinet (CHESTS, CABINETS & BOXES 2023)

Photos:

Tess Kelly

A curved cocktail cabinet, made from Macassar Ebony veneer, Birdseye Maple veneer, Wenge & veneered smoked Eucalypt. This was a project that required some complex construction techniques and veneer work. The curved doors are made up of bendy ply glued together to build thickness, and then hand fitted before being veneered. I carefully book matched the veneer to maximise the impact of the grain of the Ebony for the doors. This is a large work, measuring 1855mm High, 520mm deep and 970mm wide. This was a piece that I have thought about for a long while, however I didn't work off any drawings, only a single template of the semi circle to work the first caul off. It was a build that evolved; there was no set direction on the details, I judged what the work needed as each stage was completed. This was an enjoyable but also at times frustrating way to work, as I ached over many details for longer than I should have. However it was also quite liberating in that I didn't have any plans, it was just my creativity and technique that informed the finished product. I lost count, but there is at least 4 weeks of work on this piece. Finished in Fiddes hard wax oil then hand polished to a high sheen.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.