We visited the Big Island of Hawaii in February 2011 for something like the seventh time over the past 10 years or so. I picked up these tiles there, and when I got home I made two trivets - one for us and one for our lovely hosts in Hawaii, Pam and Roger Robinson. They're made of mango (which I brought back from Hawaii on a previous trip), maple, and mahogany with walnut splines.
I am always inspired when we go to Hawaii. There are some really amazing artists working in wood there, and their work is featured in several galleries throughout the island. If you ever go and are so inclined, the two best places to visit to view the stunning work these folks create are the Volcano Art Center adjacent to the Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and if you're fortunate to be there when it's on, the annual exhibit of the Hawaii Woodworkers Guild in late January-February at the Isaacs Art Center in Waimea.One of the members of the guild is a friend and neighbor of Pam and Roger's, Alex Franceschini. He built a HUGE and amazingly well equipped shop under his house, and there are few more enjoyable activities I've engaged in recently than to stop by his house and work with him in his shop, with all the doors open, the tropical breezes wafting through, and piles of mango, koa, and other exotic local woods just waiting to be turned into something. He not only has a pretty amazing set of tools, but also the skills to use them and to keep them in top operating condition. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, of late I've been spending more and more time learning about the proper use of hand tools, and I spent a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours under Alex's tutelage learning the finer points of hand planing, scraping, and tool sharpening. How generous with both his tools and his time! I look forward to working with him again - to the point where I would probably return to Hawaii just for the privilege of working with him in his shop again.
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