Wood Work

There can be a fine line between an artist and a craftsman, but George Beirne is both. As a kid, he got his start in woodworking by building skateboard ramps. Now 42-years-old, he’s been creating handmade pieces of art using wood inlay techniques and building gallery-style furniture that’s functional and artistic.

“At this time in my life, I know what my boundaries are, but I keep pushing a little bit here and a little bit there and that’s where you can take the next step,” Beirne says.

For his wall hangings, Beirne uses a combination of marquetry and parquetry inlay techniques to create his pieces. Parquetry is a method typically used for custom floors with geometric designs, while marquetry is a more traditional form of inlay. Both methods have been around for centuries.

His pieces usually take a minimalist approach, with clean lines and open space. His subjects range from the more abstract to mountain and desert themes to the human form. The process involves hand drawing the design, routing out the shapes and inserting solid wood. Then he sands and repeats the process depending on what the piece will be. He uses a clear coat on the surface, but avoids doing anything to modify the natural colors of the wood.

“Just use natural woods, with no stains, to give it color and depth is my philosophy,” Beirne says.

He took his first wood shop class in junior high which sent him down a path that would he would follow for the next 29 years.

“From there, I just realized at a young age what my calling was,” Beirne says.

He earned a couple of associates degrees in carpentry and not long after he found himself doing trim for Bill Gate’s house. He says the woodwork was nothing fancy, but for the time, the house was state of the art.

He was a kayak instructor for a time and owned Alaska Kayak while continuing his carpentry work. For a few years he worked as a wilderness responder, getting dropped off in remote locations in Alaska to help find remains of unlucky or overzealous travelers who disappeared while navigating rivers in their canoes or the like.

Without something to keep him occupied, Beirne would probably lose his mind. He keeps himself busy and draws inspiration from his outlets—whether he’s biking in the snow or playing the drums.

“That’s how my mind balances out and stays stable,” he says.

He was laid up after a life-threatening injury required some serious hardware to put him back together. He was confined to a wheelchair for months and the immobility didn’t suit him.

“I was going stir crazy because I couldn’t walk,” Beirne says.

He spent his time in his workshop coming up with new designs and figuring out new ways to experiment with his craft. Eventually, he was able to walk again.

Even if he hadn’t recovered, Beirne would probably still be doing woodwork. He likes testing out new methods and seeing what he can come up with or how to incorporate others’ styles into his work. It’s just what he does.

“I don’t see an end of it, I just see a pathway that just needs to keep going,” he says.

Check out George Beirne’s work at Great Harvest Bread Co. for First Friday, Feb. 3 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. or go to georgebeirnefurniture.com