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CARVING OUT A INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION,
ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Rick Crawford — Astoria’s
wood-turning sculptor
and jewelry designer
By MARILYN GILBAUGH
FOR COAST WEEKEND
ASTORIA — Hundreds of different woods,
all descriptions, sizes and shapes, are part
of wood sculptor and jewelry designer
Rick Crawford’s prized stash — where he
settles, they settle.
Crawford, his partner, Gail, and their
four cats reside comfortably and creative-
ly in a home nestled high in the hills of
Astoria. For Crawford, it’s his home and
his studio; a studio that would make any
like-minded artist or, for that matter, any
artist wannabe wish to hang out and get
creative right along beside him.
“We were excited when we first saw this
place. Gail, (a writer and ad designer at
The Daily Astorian) went almost immedi-
ately upstairs in search of a writing nook as
I headed down to the basement. It provided
all that I was looking for. My criteria were
met,” said Crawford.
Much like the found treasures he
collects and at some point repurposes
into award-winning art, both he his large
collection of “what is” and “what will be”
are transplants from many places; most
recently from south Florida.
An international award-winning sculptor
and jewelry maker, he has a fine eye and a
lifetime passion for collecting and repur-
posing three-dimensional pieces inspired
by nature.
Collected and cherished, he gathers
his stash from backyards, schoolyards,
riverbeds, pathways and ocean beaches; his
vast assortment shows up from near and
far. Both Crawford and his many friends
and new acquaintances are ever on the
lookout, alerting and/or adding to his finds.
And with his outgoing and inviting nature,
for Crawford, a new acquaintance quickly
shifts to the friend list.
A tireless and inveterate salvager and
scrounger, precious woods, driftwood,
DANNY MILLER/THE DAILY ASTORIAN
Rick Crawford, local wood sculptor and jewelry designer, poses for a portrait in his studio in Astoria.
metal tubing, sea glass, copper wire, entire
seashells, bits of seashell, stones and seed-
pods, show off his innate artist’s knack for
what most of us would pass by.
With a passion for what he does, each
of the tools of his trade, along with each
piece of reclaimed whatever (from the very
large to the most minuscule), there is a
story attached.
Wood pieces usually begin a new life on
his main carving tool, a wood-turning lathe
made in Australia; It’s a Stubby S750 and
comes with, no surprise, a Crawford story.
“It’s the best on the market,” he says
demonstrating the massive lathes many
moving parts and pieces. Then there are a
couple of kilns, one for glass and the other
for pottery, and shelves neatly holding
more tools of his trade. The man’s artistic
passion overflows with a genuine excite-
ment for his work.
The stories continue. “I have one piece
of reclaimed wood that I kept seeing in my
sleep. I will wait until a piece speaks to me;
until an image slowly comes together” said
Crawford, who adds that his finished pieces
tend to name themselves.
“When a friend of mine learned that I
was a woodturner, he asked me if I had
any need for mahogany. He owned a piece
of property in the (Florida) Keys that he
rented out to a guy who built a boat out of
true Cuban mahogany, which is extremely
hard to get hold of. I’ve owned a piece of it
since 1992,” Crawford continued.
If you or someone you know is into
woodworking, you know that a woodwork-
er’s mantra (often delivered to fellow wood
lovers in a hushed tone) is: “This is some-
thing you can’t even get anymore.” Rick
has many “can’t get anymore” treasures.
Most of his sculpture and jewelry is
inspired by what he sees in nature, re-
positioning and highlighting grains and
textures. “What looks roughly textured is
finished to a hard to believe smooth as a
baby’s bottom — in fact Crawford often
invites viewers to handle his work to appre-
ciate the silky finish.
“No splinters here,” he says as each
piece of driftwood, mahogany, rosewood,
purple heartwood, western red cedar, and
the rest of his “jewels” wait to be repur-
posed and repositioned.
Several pieces of Rick Crawford’s
art can be viewed at Astoria’s River Sea
Gallery. More information about him, his
international awards, and his work are
available at numerous online sites .
Chances are, once you take a long look
at Rick Crawford’s wondrous creations
you’ll never stroll on our beaches the
same way. Or for that matter, there’s a
good chance anywhere you walk, things
you once saw as just old bits and pieces of
debris will never look the same.