Jeff Strickler
Creator
The heart of a tree.
Time, written. Revealed in form. A story continues.
Box Elder Burl * 13"d x 6"h
Unique works from Nature, carefully hand-crafted to
showcase the beauty to be found "beneath the bark."
News and Events
Current Exhibitions
Featured Artist — I'm honored to have been selected as a featured artist at Portland's Dossier Hotel (www.dossierhotel.com).A rotating selection of my work is on display in the hotel lobby. If you're in downtown Portland, I hope you'll stop by.
Upcoming Art Fairs
* Salem Art Fair & Festival - September 11–13, 2026* Corvallis Fall Festival - September 26–27, 2026
Additional information (including booth locations) will be posted here as available.
Latest Work
Several new pieces have recently been added to the New Works gallery.
Flowering Plum & Maple * 13-1/2"l x 3-1/4"w
My work is presented here in a sequence of several galleries:
* New Works - my most recent pieces.* Galleries - a retrospective of some of my work over the years.* Available Works - pieces available for purchase.
An additional About section describes my approach, influences, and process.Gallery images may be viewed in greater detail by selecting (double clicking) any image. You may then move through the gallery at full zoom.New pieces will be added periodically to the New Works gallery, reflecting my ongoing explorations of material and form.
New Works
Galleries
Please note that the pieces shown in this section (and in the brochure linked at the end of this section) are a review of some of my favorites over the years - most have already found a home. Currently available pieces are shown in the Available Works and New Works galleries.
Turnings
(bowls, vases & urns)
Other Works
To see a brochure with more of my work, please click on the link below:
About
The story doesn't end when the tree falls . . .
Every piece of wood has a story.I get to help tell it.Wood is an extraordinary medium, offering a rich interplay of form, pattern, color, texture, and weight. Light refracts within the grain — a phenomenon known as chatoyance — creating depth and quiet movement beneath the surface. With care (and sharp tools!), wood is eminently workable into almost any form. A wonderful source for exploration and expression!
Wood is an organic material that carries the record of a life lived. Each tree, and every piece shaped from it, holds a singular history written in its grain: shifting patterns of grain, color variations, knots, voids, spalting, and decay. These are stories of time, weather, stress, growth and resilience.
It is my privilege to help tell these stories. Creating each piece becomes a conversation with the material; one that inspires — and often guides — the final form. My role is to reveal rather than impose, creating objects that are visually compelling, satisfying to hold, and respectful of their origin.My work centers on urban “found” wood — trees at the end of their life, or lost to storms or landscape change, and often destined for mulch, firewood, or landfill. Working with this material, I aim to give it renewed presence and purpose.
Many pieces begin on the lathe, where form emerges through careful removal. As new surfaces are exposed, the character of the wood is revealed. Sanding and finish treatments bring out its grain, color and luster. At times I incorporate color, inlay material, or metal to introduce texture or contrast, but always with the intention that each piece remains, at its essence, a wooden object.
Every new surface reveals something unexpected. My hope is that each finished piece preserves that sense of discovery, honoring the life of the tree and helping to tell its story.
Available Works
A selection of artwork available to purchase.
The pieces shown here are included in the Spring Sales brochure linked immediately below.
I have a number of additional finished vessels, sculptures and wall art (including several of the pieces in New Works, above). Please reach out to me at [email protected] if you are interested in a full list of available pieces.
If you are interested in a piece similar to those shown in the Galleries, above (wood species, form, color, etc.), but not currently for sale, please contact me. I'm always happy to discuss creative challenges!
Continue the story . . .
I send a few email updates each year featuring new work, upcoming exhibitions, and discoveries from the workshop. Twice a year these updates include a brochure of pieces available for purchase.If you'd enjoy following my work, simply send me an email and I'll be happy to add you to the list.
I can be reached at:
