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photo provided by Redwood Burl Co.
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photo provided by Redwood Burl Co.
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photo provided by Redwood Burl Co.
To Ron Jagger, Mother Nature is the greatest artist. He aims to showcase her creations through his Redwood Burl Co. furniture.
“My goal is to make the beauty … nature makes clearer,” he says. “I feel like I’m making art, even if nature does most of the work.”
After spending 40 years honing his artistic woodworking among the redwoods of California and in mountainous Colorado, Jagger has developed impressive expertise and returned home to Medina, where he crafts custom live-edge tables, mantels, chairs and more.
The process starts with quality precut wood from sources like California, Arizona, Colorado and Ohio's Amish Country. Customers browse the stunning wood in his workshop and choose what speaks to them, including pieces that showcase rare growths called burls. “The wood comes from the stump and roots,” Jagger says. “When a tree burls, it … creates growths with amazing patterns and shapes.”
Customers describe their vision as if commissioning art, and Jagger designs a piece by cutting, sanding, adding parts and varnishing. With many of the wood slabs featuring natural psychedelic-esque swirly patterns, a finished piece has movement as majestic as a finished painting.
“I love what I do,” he says. “Showing people the beauty of nature in this way is euphoric — almost a spiritual experience.”
Jagger explains the creative process behind some of his one-of-a-kind pieces.
photo provided by Redwood Burl Co.
Coffee table, $500-$2,000
The organic oil finish on this redwood burl brings out deep red fractal patterns. Even the edges are remarkable, resembling lava with dark ripples. Customers choose the material for the legs, and the shape and the thickness of the tabletop, so each table is unique. How to Style: With its longevity and beauty, Jagger suggests using it as a focal point of a family room — both physically and stylistically. “These always make good centerpieces,” he says.
photo provided by Redwood Burl Co.
Grandfather clock, $1,500-$2,500
Crafted from the roots of walnut, buckeye burl, redwood burl and local trees, this grandfather clock looks as if it were a tree grown by Father Time himself. While the main walnut slab stands tall and stoic, roots weave around the clock like crawling vines frozen in time. How to Style: A varnish finish accentuates the wood’s eye-catching patterns and makes it a striking statement piece. “It’s great for entryways,” Jagger says.
photo provided by Redwood Burl Co.
Wall sculpture, $1,500
Paying homage to the source of his career, Jagger uses smaller pieces cut from buckeye burls and gnarly wood to construct a two-dimensional arboreal design. Slices of roots and stumps form leaves that make the awe-inspiring wall art come to life.
photo provided by Redwood Burl Co.
Entryway Table, $1,500
Redwood burl forms this entryway table, and the grooves are filled with blue resin to mimic the appearance of branching rivers. How to Style: It can also be used for dining. “It’s versatile enough to use as a table,” Jagger says.
460 Granger Road, Medina, 303-246-2153, redwoodburlohio.com
