Lost Art Woodworks
About Lost Art Woodworks...
After 18 years in the telecommunications business doing everything from engineering to business development, I made a
life-changing decision in 2001 to pursue my passion of designing and building truly distinctive furniture for a living - that's
when I started Lost Art Woodworks. Although I have been building furniture for the past 11 years, I've found
woodworking as a profession to be the most rewarding, inspiring, sometimes frustrating experience, but always filled with
the desire that I will leave my children with the example that you can still follow your dreams.
A piece of my furniture begins in the design phase, and if it is a commission piece, is a collaborative effort between the
clients and myself. My current work blends vibrant exotic wood veneers with a hint of the Art Deco era of the 1920s and
30s. – if I’m pigeon-holed into defining my style I call it “Contemporary Art Deco”. My “Free-form Marquetry” mixes
woods along organic and geometric lines using marquetry techniques for contrast, complement, tone and color. This
technique is most evident in my “River Series” of work which represent a topical view of a meandering river (with an
occasional island thrown in!) going through the piece. The rivers all start as drawings on plywood which are then free
hand cut on a band saw or a scroll saw – no patterns or templates are used so exact duplication of a piece is impossible,
resulting in a truly unique piece of furniture. Mated pairs (such as a pair of side tables) are stacked and cut at the same,
thus producing the same river pattern.
I do not use stains or dyes to change the color of wood; if I'm going for a specific blend of color, tone, and figure I search
for woods that naturally have the characteristics I desire. I pay very close attention to color and figure and select the most
distinctive pieces to be used in the most visible area of the furniture. My furniture is built with fine domestic hardwoods,
accented by highly figured exotic woods and veneers, creating a piece of furniture that invites attention longer than just a
few moments . . .
All my furniture is made by hand using only basic power tools - hand tools such as planes, chisels and scrapers are used
daily in my studio. I usually have at least one assistant working with me on larger pieces and performing some of the basic
milling and sanding of smaller pieces. All the marquetry work, more complex milling, and all finishing are performed by
me on every piece I create. I use time-tested strong joinery in my work whenever possible. I use a variety of finishing
techniques selected to best accent the naturally occurring figure in the wood, with all prominent touchable surfaces being
hand-polished to produce a silky feel.
Honors and Awards
2007 Boardwalk Art Show and Festival – Award of Excellence
2003 Philadelphia Furniture and Furnishings Show – Best New Artist
2003 Durham Centerfest – Best of Show
2004 Durham Arts Council - Emerging Artists Grant Recipient
Exhibitions
Green Hill Center for NC Art Winter Show 2007
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft “Holidazzle” 2006-7
Celebrating Two Centuries of NC Decorative Arts; Barton College 2008
Thanks for visiting my website. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions.
Brian Bortz - Furnituremaker
life-changing decision in 2001 to pursue my passion of designing and building truly distinctive furniture for a living - that's
when I started Lost Art Woodworks. Although I have been building furniture for the past 11 years, I've found
woodworking as a profession to be the most rewarding, inspiring, sometimes frustrating experience, but always filled with
the desire that I will leave my children with the example that you can still follow your dreams.
A piece of my furniture begins in the design phase, and if it is a commission piece, is a collaborative effort between the
clients and myself. My current work blends vibrant exotic wood veneers with a hint of the Art Deco era of the 1920s and
30s. – if I’m pigeon-holed into defining my style I call it “Contemporary Art Deco”. My “Free-form Marquetry” mixes
woods along organic and geometric lines using marquetry techniques for contrast, complement, tone and color. This
technique is most evident in my “River Series” of work which represent a topical view of a meandering river (with an
occasional island thrown in!) going through the piece. The rivers all start as drawings on plywood which are then free
hand cut on a band saw or a scroll saw – no patterns or templates are used so exact duplication of a piece is impossible,
resulting in a truly unique piece of furniture. Mated pairs (such as a pair of side tables) are stacked and cut at the same,
thus producing the same river pattern.
I do not use stains or dyes to change the color of wood; if I'm going for a specific blend of color, tone, and figure I search
for woods that naturally have the characteristics I desire. I pay very close attention to color and figure and select the most
distinctive pieces to be used in the most visible area of the furniture. My furniture is built with fine domestic hardwoods,
accented by highly figured exotic woods and veneers, creating a piece of furniture that invites attention longer than just a
few moments . . .
All my furniture is made by hand using only basic power tools - hand tools such as planes, chisels and scrapers are used
daily in my studio. I usually have at least one assistant working with me on larger pieces and performing some of the basic
milling and sanding of smaller pieces. All the marquetry work, more complex milling, and all finishing are performed by
me on every piece I create. I use time-tested strong joinery in my work whenever possible. I use a variety of finishing
techniques selected to best accent the naturally occurring figure in the wood, with all prominent touchable surfaces being
hand-polished to produce a silky feel.
Honors and Awards
2007 Boardwalk Art Show and Festival – Award of Excellence
2003 Philadelphia Furniture and Furnishings Show – Best New Artist
2003 Durham Centerfest – Best of Show
2004 Durham Arts Council - Emerging Artists Grant Recipient
Exhibitions
Green Hill Center for NC Art Winter Show 2007
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft “Holidazzle” 2006-7
Celebrating Two Centuries of NC Decorative Arts; Barton College 2008
Thanks for visiting my website. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions.
Brian Bortz - Furnituremaker
Furnituremaker - Brian Bortz
Durham, North Carolina
919-402-1545
Durham, North Carolina
919-402-1545