Jay’s Favorite Woods

Holly ~ I love Holly, it is hard to describe how special holly is, the character and energetic variation of this wood. Holly is a high vibrational wood, it is extremely closed celled so the surface is delightfully smooth. It is an unusual wood.

Redwood ~ This wood is so grounded and earthy, it feels deeply connected to the Earth. The wood is shrouded in the mysteries of the Earth.

Walnut ~ is just very present, always rich and beautiful. This wood feels kind to me.

Oak ~ Oak is the engineer of woods, linear and structured in a way other woods are not. I have a great respect for Oak.

Maple ~ this is a wonderful palette of malleability to the environment. It has such a variety of grains from a wavy river of shimmer to a firmament of stars, or still as a quiet ocean. It has an amazing ability to bend to what happens. Mutable and surprising in how it develops.

Cedar ~ a most sacred of wood that seems to exist partially in another realm. The incense quality always brings a sense of a temple. It is a soft light wood. Cedar has a different life and growth, outside of time and space, imbued with a sense of Magic. Working with it is very delicate.

Fruit Wood ~ Apple is one of my favorite woods, it is happy, friendly, and richly colored. Plum is more dynamic with rich colors. It seems to be a little more strong willed, it often has a lot of issues, and incredible depth.

Chestnut ~ this unusual wood is structured like walnut but it is more easygoing. The light peach honey color is gorgeous, there is an awakened and stillness to Chestnut.

Alder ~ what I really like are some of the branches that windfall, the patterns can be amazing. Alder degrades quickly and as the fungus comes in (Spalting) dismantling the wood structure beautiful patterns emerge.

Fir ~ can be so stubborn, it has the most contrary grain, very tight fine grained, or alternating firm and soft. Fir has a way of clearly recording the nuances of each year and what that treed endured. Forces of wind, or stress show up in a readable way. Fir continues to become more beautiful with age. I love working with reclaimed fir from old structures that have been torn down. That old growth wood is the best in the world, and I love to honor it by using it in an altar. Little scraps thrown away by others are often adored by me.

I have used branches from bushes, rhododendrons, dogwood, anything I can find that speaks to me. Each piece of wood speaks its own invitation.