Artist Guy Michaels has spent the last 15 years perfecting a unique art form: turned alabaster vessels inlaid with segments of exotic woods. Each piece is a one of a kind since nature provides an endless supply of colors and paterns in each alabaster stone. Alabster is becoming a rare stone with fewer quarries available to extract the stone. Choosing one of these unusual pieces will turn your home decor from ordinary into the extraordinary. His hand-crafted art has an inspiring beauty that draws from a variety of influences, including Old World, Native America, and natural elements. 

The artist at work.

Guy starts with slabs of alabaster stone. First, he roughs it into a round shape with an air chisel and attaches it onto a chuck that can be mounted on his lathe. After roughing out the outer shape, Guy adheres segments of wood to the stone with a special adhesive process. The more layers of segments that a piece has, the longer that process takes, as each layer must dry in the special drying room for 24 hrs. Eventually, he mounts the pieces back onto the lathe. After turning the insides to 3/16 inches thin, the pieces are sanded smooth and a process of finishes is applied. It can take several weeks to make a single piece, but Guy typically works in batches, trying to meet the demands of galleries and individuals that are eager to own one of these unique vessels.  

The beauty of each piece even astounds Guy!