new wooden sign completed

I had designed this little logo for a family friend a year or so ago. He had liked it enough to have me build him a wooden sign version of it. I had taken my time thinking through how design it or how I would attack the wood. I still had some old barn boards in the garage waiting for a project and decided to put 'em to use. 

I set into giving it some dimension...a slight relief that would allow for some of the surface grain to remain. It was something that happened by accident during the working process but grabbed my attention. The real challenge is to keep the project looking aged. Using great barn boards helps but is no guarantee. 

Once carved out my attempts at aging it a bit more were put to the test.

There is something about wood grain, the texture and the pattern, that never seems to dull the senses. It is as if wood was meant for humans to engage it. Like our love of water, wood always feels right. The goal of anyone working with it is to keep that feeling present as we cut, carve, color, etc. 

I am not sure how the finished sign looks on screen, but I feel, as I hold it and prepare to soon hand it over to its new owner, that it works well. The material was treated with care and respect and at the end of the day, that is really all we can (should) do.