Of the Land

Michael Peterson runs his fingers over the peeling bark of a huge madrone burl, one of dozens amassed in the woodlot.

The serpentine trunks of Arbutus menziesii are a common sight here in southern Oregon. November through May, loggers haul in the uniquely grained wood by the ton. Most will be milled into veneer – but not all. During the season, Peterson and his wife, Jean, return here every couple of months and haul a half-ton of dense green burl back to Lopez Island, Washington, in their old Toyota pickup.

The pilgrimage is an essential step in the 61-year-old sculptor’s process, a reflection of his reverence for the natural world. “I’m committing to this material,” he explains. “I don’t want somebody to just send me wood – I really have to make that connection.”

When he finds a piece that speaks to him, he makes the first cuts into the large, untouched burl, blocking it up for the journey home. There, with chain saws and gouges, surface treatments and patience, he’ll coax striking organic sculptures from its grain and structure.

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