J. Ruel Martin has been working with wood for 24 years, and currently works out of his home studio in Acworth, GA, where he lives with his wife Tera and his 5 children.

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Specializing in spalted woods (wood that has been affected by bugs and fungi), Ruel personally harvests all of the wood he uses from diseased, dead, and downed, trees across the southeastern United States, to create his turned hollow forms. His process is quite labor intensive from the initial managing of very large pieces of wood, through the turning and drying processes, to the application of six to eight coats of epoxy resin with sanding between each, and finally to the finishing polish, all to create beautiful forms that capture the true nature of the wood. His highly detailed process typically spans over the course of a year from beginning to end, but the result is truly amazing and worth all of the effort.

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“My process starts with sourcing the raw wood for my forms, which is truly one of my favorite aspects because it's my chance to “hunt” for the prize. I love riding through the North Georgia Hills anticipating a great “find”. When I get my hands on something that I believe may hold a rare beauty beneath the bark, I can hardly wait to work the piece.”