Mark D. Reschke
Tooling-A-Round

My present work has evolved over many years as a need for creative release and a natural love for wood.  Years ago I became aware of the natural beauty of wood, mainly 'found' woods.  I began to collect odd pieces of cast-off local woods such as burls and stumps of Maple, Elm, Box Elder, Birch Burl, Walnut, and Butternut.  I let the natural shape of the wood and grain or figure dictate the finished piece.
One of my favorite woods is the Birch Burl.  Burls are a result of nature that causes excessive bud growth through natural causes that may not continue into a branch.  These are the growths that you see on the side of a tree.  In the Birch the burl typically grows at the stump or under ground.