The Rhododendron Roots
The WoodFisch was able to acquire these roots while building houses at the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV in 2001. A small and neglected gazebo was dismantled to make way for the Town & Country show home where he was the project manager.
During WWII, the Greenbrier housed German and Japanese internees. During their “internship”, the internees constructed the gazebo and used these roots as decorative elements at the tops of the posts and at the peak of the ceiling.
During their sixty years beautifying the gazebo, insect borers made tunnels in the roots – concentrating in the root burls. Long dead and gone, the borers’ efforts left a fascinating pattern of holes and tunnels.
This photo shows a root in its found state. Dull, gray, and not very interesting. It needs much sanding, sculpting, and polishing to bring out its life:
These photos show how the roots were WoodFisched to unlock their beauty……
Dinosaur spirits arose from the roots
Duck-billed dinosaur
(Hadrosaur)
Water dwelling predator dinosaur
(Snakeosaur)
Extremely rare speciman of a Snakeosaur fin.
Green mottling indicates this individual was quite old at the time of its death.
The Terror Bird
(Phorusrhacid)
Flower / Candle Holder
Holes for flower vials on one side and for tea light candles on the other side
Bees and Borers
Carpenter bee tunnels in the highly figured cedar
Insect borer holes in the roots and shelf
The panel is a cedar board found in an attic during renovation work
Rhododendron root shelf supports
Cedar panel
Heart pine shelf
In and Out
Root was sawn in half lengthwise
Outside is the original shape
Inside surface reveals a shimmering grain pattern
Turtle Trays
Charcuterie boards for those of us who are turtle friendly
Rhododendron root head and legs
Sycamore shells
Trophy Roots
Like a trophy bass stuffed and mounted on a wall - these rhododendron roots are indeed trophies
Rhododendron root door pulls
Why not make door pulls special?
Sliding Doors
Slices
Successive slices from a root Reminds me of vertebrae