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Elegant Wooden Chair Hand-Carved from a Single Tree Stump

With the right artistic vision, an ordinary tree stump can become something magnificent. In 2014, Alex Johnson demonstrated this with his chair called Glemham I, which he carved out of a large oak stump. It took the craftsman six months to complete his wooden creation by hand using everyday tools like a chisel and gouge.

The Glemham I was produced during a residency at White House Farm, which is the seasonal home of The Alde Valley Spring Festival near Great Glemham, England. Its stump was harvested from the farm and felled by a local timber man. Johnson then began slowly shaping and forming the wood into a elegant piece of furniture, with curved arms that flow into intricate flourishes adorning the base of the chair.

After completing the carving, Glemham I was debuted at the annual Festival Exhibition and now resides in the farm's old Threshing Barn.

Alex Johnson: Alde Valley Spring Festival
via [Twisted Sifter]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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