Gary Mylnek
I have always thought of wood as beautiful and unique. I have worked with wood for years, but my artistic work really started ten years ago when I moved to North Carolina and then retired. My work specializes in nautical, nature and animal. I create custom art including: wall scenes, coat racks, tabletop art, wood sculpture, and cribbage boards.
All of my work starts with an idea and as a first step I create an original full-size drawing using pencil. This first step goes back to my early days as a design draftsman and technical illustrator when paper, pencil, and pen and ink were only used! I then select types of wood for their various colors, textures, and grain to give life to each piece. I do not use stain but rely on each type of wood to add its own splash of color. Some of my favorite pieces of wood have a “raw edge” and/or bark. These add details for vegetation and landscapes. I also look for distinctive grain lines to flow with the subject, such as gills on a swordfish, strings of a violin or bark on a tree. I never strive to exactly replicate nature and animals but use my imagination to create an interpretation. I find it challenging and fulfilling drawing, then cutting, shaping, sanding and assembling the many wood pieces used to bring the work to life.
My most recent works are seahorses. I find them to be beautiful, and when I find pieces of wood, I picture what each seahorse will look like. No two are alike in size, shape or personality. I also like to use scrap wood to create cribbage boards, as well as functional art, such as coat racks. These always have a nautical theme including fish, diving helmets and lighthouses.
I would love to create your unique piece of art.
Contact Gary at 651-335-7126 or garymlynek@gmail.com