JEFF EASLEY
The Progress of Illusion, 11'' x 106''

Jeff Easley has been a professional woodworker since 1979. He spent five years working at the Amana Furniture shop building rocking chairs, dressers, china cupboards, hutches, and other furniture. He currently designs and builds custom commissions and produces speculation art furniture and wall sculptures. He has major public sculptures at the University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls), which commissioned ten wall sculptures for its Commons Building, and Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, which received three of Jeff Easley's wall sculptures as a gift through the Iowa Sister State Program.

About the artwork: Woodworking is physically demanding and potentially dangerous, but Easley contends that "Wood is like frozen music. [It] has the ability to foster inner peace. It has a calming effect on people because it is so beautiful." Easley uses both machines to mill the wood and traditional joinery and finish techniques to fabricate his pieces. He chooses non-endangered woods and selects pieces for their natural colors and grain qualities. The woods are from different parts of the world and provide local economies with an alternative to slash and burn forest (mis)management. Some of the woods are plantation grown trees that shade coffee plant

Jeff Easley's website