Living in a quiet and tranquil countryside as I age year by year, I've been pondering over hobbies to enjoy during my leisure time. For the past few years, I've contemplated activities such as drawing, writing, and photography. I've been striving to create a creative and somewhat innovative hobby unique to myself. Hence, the hobby I came up with, which I consider to be a new genre of art for myself, is called LEoX. Here, X can be Wood, Stone, Paper, and various other media. 

Initially, I decided to try engraving on the abundant wood found in Virginia, where I live. Fortunately, there is a renowned woodworking shop not far from my home in Virginia, making it easy and convenient to obtain the necessary wood.

A brief overview of the LEoX algorithm is as follows:

Create a drawing or design a logo using a pencil or charcoal.

Use a smartphone to capture the drawing or logo, creating an image file, usually a jpeg file.

Commission the creation of a wooden board of the appropriate size for the theme of the drawing or logo at a woodworking shop.

Use computer and graphic software to adjust the position, size, and text of the drawing or logo to fit the wooden board prepared in Step 3.

Fix the prepared wooden board in a laser printer and use laser printing software to upload and confirm the image file for laser engraving.

Issue the print command to the laser printer, and upon completion, examine the final result (LEoW, where W=Wood).

Similarly, this method can be applied to engrave images on stones, metals, and thick paper. Initially, I engraved the logos of organizations on wooden boards, creating items such as bottle openers, paperweights, and coasters. Later, I tried engraving calligraphy on wooden boards and, in the third stage, engraved drawings I had created on wooden boards (two pieces produced so far). Recently, following the described method, I simplified and abstracted portrait photos using graphic software, engraved two pieces, and sent one as a gift to a friend couple.

The interdisciplinary trial of combining computer and communication technology, photography, art, and woodworking continues quietly and persistently. Not long ago, I designed a multipurpose stationery item in the form of an office Rubik's Cube. I commissioned a woodworking shop to create it, incorporating features such as a memo holder, clip, letter opener, and slots for pens and pencils, with simple drawings or elegant phrases engraved on the front.

While initially focusing on engraving, I realized that it could be more practical and fulfilling to use wood to create various everyday items. Examples include kitchen tools with engraved drawings, simplified bookstands for reading, letterboxes or vases, and stable and artistic phone stands. Recently, with the collaboration of a regular woodworking shop, I have started making wooden crafts using leftover wood, contributing to environmental protection through a form of "Recycling Art." Currently, due to the high cost of the necessary woodworking equipment and laser printers, I outsource the production of my work.

One of the reasons I became interested in the engraving is its advantage of being able to replicate the original work multiple times, similar to printmaking, making it suitable for household decorations, gifts to loved ones, or souvenirs. While my works have been well-received as gifts, and people express gratitude and encouragement, it's a half-joking but true fact that only the first piece I ever created has been sold to a collector. When I asked the woodworking and engraving shops I frequently visit during vacations if I could spend some time as an apprentice, they all welcomed the idea. Initially, when I first commissioned work, there was some hesitancy, but now, even without payment, there is a mutual trust where I can simply take my work without any formalities.

Moving forward, I plan to continuously generate new ideas and embark on innovative artistic endeavors of my own. LEoX is my "My Fun Art Hobby," injecting vitality into my mundane daily life, and sparking a passion for enjoyable and practical research.

December 20, 2023

Solti

Solti Museum of Fine Arts (SMoFA)

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