Batavia woodworker has a passion for intarsia
Intarsia requires precision cutting, hours of sanding and intricate piece work.
Some of the earliest examples of this woodworking method, a mosaic created from wood, can be traced back to the seventh century. Some say it's a lost art. Don't tell Jim Perry that.
"I've been doing intarsia for the past 25 years," he said. "It's a delicate wood inlay that was popular in the 15th century."
Perry is the guy you might see in the lumber department, looking over the planks of wood, studying the color and grain. You won't find him in the paint department. The color in his woodworking comes entirely from the natural color of the wood.
When it comes to wood, Perry is an expert. He talks about the different colors and the beauty of the grains. In his art pieces he has used yellow heart blood wood, aspen, walnut, and cedar, along with a variety of others.
"I use a blue pine that is actually a gray color because the pine tree was attacked by bugs," he added.
Once Perry has selected the wood to be used within his pattern, he cuts the separate pieces with a scroll saw. Each is sanded and finished. Sometimes the pieces vary in depth to give more interest to the finished art. Once the individual parts are done, they are fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle and glued to the wood backing. It takes him about 80 hours from start to finish.
"In my wine bottle piece, I used purple heart wood for the grapes and I had to make 40 individual grapes, to give the piece dimension," he added.
Jim Perry and his wife, Gini, live at The Holmstad, a retirement community in Batavia. He has many of his art pieces in his home, including one of the first ones; a dog carrying a mallard.
Does his wife share his love of intarsia?
"I think she just tolerates it. Although I did make her one of a cat. She likes cats and she likes that one because it doesn't have to be fed," he said, with a chuckle.
A modest artist, Perry knows that his wife appreciates his work.
When they redecorated their kitchen, Gini insisted that one of the ceiling's can lights showcase Jim's 20-by-30-inch head of Christ, a piece of art that is special to them both.
For many years, the Perrys have been active members of the Holmstad community. They originated the idea for the retirement center's Homestore, an upscale furniture resale shop that residents can use when they downsize or redecorate. They put in many volunteer hours getting furniture ready to sell to the public and volunteering at the shop.
Years ago, I did a story on Roy Hoffman, a Holmstad wood carver who is no longer with us. He told me that there was something special about taking a simple piece of wood and creating something from it.
You can tell that Jim Perry shares that feeling when he talks about the beauty of the wood, the natural grain and color. He has great respect for the natural material, and that is evident in the beauty of his work.