Michael Alexander

medium: furniture design

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A Tool Belt for Mary Sue 2007 Furniture design	Character Defined by Zeal 2007 Furniture design	Mable, Mable Set the Table 2007 Furniture design
Let Life Pursue You 2007 Furniture design	Dream Right Where You Live 2007 Furniture design	Balanced Whorled Happiness 2007 Furniture design
Wrecked Cadillac 2007 Furniture design	Blanca's Table by Hector 2007 Furniture design	Memories Love It Here 2007 Furniture design
Not Sleeping on the Job of Love 2007 Furniture design

Contact information
Artist resides in: Plain, WI
Email Address: malex@merr.com
Web site: www.michaelalexanderdesigns.com

Artist statement
My past experience is in restoration, designing and building period additions to older homes. I have always had an ongoing interest in sustainable forestry management and value-added products from landowner woodlots. My interest in making this type of furniture grew out of my experience of over 30 years working with wood and other construction materials and from living on my 220-acre farm in Sauk County, Wis. Much of the land is non-arable (hilly and forested) and is ideally suited to a sustainable forest stewardship plan.

Trees from timber stand improvement are gathered from my own woods or offered from neighbors and others and brought back to the farm where they are sorted and cut to appropriate slab thickness and lengths. Some trees I may leave in a decaying state for a few seasons to encourage natural processes such as worm tracks and spalting--when weathering releases sugars from the wood and decay occurs along the veins of release. The slabs are dried in a solar kiln, which helps in relaxing the wood as it dries.

Pieces can be made on request. I can make almost anything from something that resembles nothing.

Biography
I love to dumpster dive! Growing up in a large, single-parent family, we were always scavenging for parts to build go-carts and forts. One not-so-fond memory is of my brothers absconding with my first design--a three-wheeled go-cart--tying a dummy to it, then sending it down a cliff into a stream.

Many of my pieces have recycled steel, glass or wood incorporated into their design because of dire economic circumstances and a strong conserve, reuse and recycle ethic.