Developed during the Renaissance, intarsia is the art of decorating a surface with inlaid patterns using pieces cut from varied species, grains and colors of wood. These cut pieces are then individually contoured and shaped by sanding to achieve more dimension and texture. Finally, the sanded, multi-dimensional and textured pieces are re-assembled into kind of wooden sculpture, or "mosaic in wood" like the items pictured on these pages.
 Susan and Bob Copeland of Brevard, North Carolina are the very talented husband and wife team that produce these beautiful wood mosaics. For years, Susan has busied herself with decorative painting. She continues to paint various objects, such as flowerpots, glass blocks, furniture, wooden items, children's tables and chairs, and any thing that doesn't move. She has been a painter since 1993 and has attended painting seminars and classes taught by nationally renowned artists.
Her husband, Bob, does the wood cutting of smaller objects with table saw, scroll saw and other tools and helps to repair furniture items as needed. Since the couple embarked on their latest voyage of discovery with intarsia, they have been working as a team. Bob handles the intricate cutting of the wood pieces that make up each project and Susan does the rest. A charter member and active participant of Four Seasons Crafters prior to joining the Carolina Mountain Artists Guild, Susan has lived in Brevard, in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina for 17 years enjoying the seasons and the mountain scenery with Bob. Whether painting or intarsia, she is happy to take special orders.
Susan and Bob Copeland
Brevard, North Carolina
billybob@citcom.net |
