Rummaging
Rummaging through a couple of boxes of veneers held by the Staffs Marquetry group I came across lots of lovely looking things. Veneers are fairly inconsistent and I imagine it can take a long time to understand how to approach their selection. Some are very thick and tough to cut, others wafer thin and frighteningly delicate. Getting the right veneer for the job and it being reasonably easy to work with can be difficult. Often the most interesting veneers visually are the burrs which are typically knotty and coarse and a challenge for even the most practiced cutter.
I photographed some of the things I came across as it is hard to think about the visual diversity of the material when it isn’t all in front of you. Some of the most attractive ones were very plain- hornbeam and horse chestnut; which are beautifully pure and white. I also like the fleshy pinkness of the pear. I wonder about connecting the association with a particular tree with what its timber actually looks like. Does the trees outer appearance correspond to what lies within?
Knowing what type of veneer each is can be pretty difficult and various library references can be referred to. This is very much like looking through a wooden deluxe catalogue which I quite like the idea of.
http://www.staffsmarq.freeserve.co.uk/misc/veneers.htm
