Electrified creations go against the grain

By Tristan Marks
NewsNow

Colourful teal, blue and even red rivers flow like gems across a landscape dominated by dark lighting strikes.

These aren’t abstract paintings or one-in-a-million photos.

They are unique charcuterie boards, coasters and other wood artifacts produced by Grimsby based artisan Matt Potvin, owner of Crosswind Creations.

Five years ago, Potvin purchased a wood mill in Cayuga. Since then, he’s experimented creating surfaces out of all sorts of hardwoods.

His signature pieces are charcuterie boards covered in black lines that resemble lighting bolts. He explained that this design comes from a method of wood burning called ‘fractal’ or ‘Lichtenburg’ burning.

The method involves using electrical probes attached to some kind of very high voltage and low current transformer and pressing them to specially treated wood to burn in unique, lightning bolt patterns.

“I try to go minimally as possible with the fractal burn so the pattern doesn’t overpower the wood,” said Matt.

“It’s really a trial and error thing. I’ll think of something then try it the next day.”

He stressed that fractal burning is a highly dangerous method since it uses live electricity currents.

Matt first utilized fractal burning while creating bar surfaces for Different Strokes in Grimsby, which he co-owns with his wife, Val.

“I took a welding course and saw someone doing fractal burning with a microwave transformer a couple years ago,” he said. “I looked into how to do that for the bar. I saw that it was something people really liked. We experimented and used the phenomenon of the charcuterie board as an outlet.”

Every board is made from locally-sourced hardwood and sealed with a homemade product of mineral oil and local beeswax.

“I physically go out to harvest the wood,” Matthew explained. “We also actually have a few bee hives on the mill property that a gentleman takes care of that we get the wax from.”

Matt’s wife, Val, helps him out by creating the colourful epoxy mixes that highlight many of the boards.

“Matt reacts to epoxy. He’s allergic. So, I‘ve been pouring them,” Val said. “I like to experiment, but I can’t get too exotic just in case I forget how I did it and someone asks for that colour for a custom piece.”

Crosswind Creations is always available for custom commissions, such as bar tops, island tops or just hardwood on its own and they make unique gifts, said Matt.

For information, call 416-803-2281 or email: matt@crosswindcreations.com

He is also an exhibitor at Thirty Road Farmers & Artisan Market every Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at 324 Thirty Road in Grimsby.