Rising Stars: Meet Rick Griggs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Griggs.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have had an array of experience across many fields. From on-air and management in radio to consulting professional sports teams and broadcast companies including ESPN to photography and woodworking. The common thread in all of them is my passion for what I do!

I have always been intrigued by woodworking. It started when my grandfather would take a stick or small branch and carve it. My uncle added to that interest with his own wood carving. Over the years I did a few projects here and there but it was nowhere near the level it is now. I started doing turning which evolved into “live edge” slabs as tables and wall art. After finishing my first “live edge” table my wife began telling friends about it and encouraged me to do more tables. One thing led to another and now I am doing commissioned work for clients around the country.

It is rewarding to see the reaction of someone when they see the completed commission. To know that you have been able to impact them with your art, and I like to think that I am making art and not tables, is very special. One of my favorite experiences was creating a walnut coffee table. As I explained how I would work the piece and use stone in the voids in the wood the client asked if it would be OK to use stone he had. It turns out his father had given him the stones as a child. I said send them to me and we’ll see if they work. I received six different pieces and used three of them; there were just three voids to be filled. When the client saw the table with the stone inlay emotion was evident. The table had special meaning and became a family heirloom.

Woodworking is that it is therapeutic! You become so focused on what you are doing that it is refreshing and invigorating. And after spending a lifetime in radio where you can only hear and not see or hold the results it is gratifying to be able to see and touch the art I craft.

I limit the number of shows I do because of the amount of commission work. My favorite show is Hidden in the Hills sponsored by the Sonoran Arts League. It is two weekends in November where people can go to 40+ artist studios and see three to five artists displaying their work. I’m honored to be a “legacy artist” in The Finer Arts Gallery in Cave Creek, AZ. It is a very special and unique venue that showcases over 36 amazing artists from the area.

Nature does the work and I just try to accent the beauty with each piece. The wood and stone are carefully selected. The wood and stone come from the US, Australia, Central and South America and Asia. Each piece is meticulously planned from preparation and cleaning to sculpting and sanding to the inlay material and finishing.

In addition to woodworking, I have spent over 40 years in the broadcast industry creating entertainment programming. I was one of the pioneers helping to create the Sports Radio format. I own the premiere and highly‐respected Sports Radio consulting firm, RSA Sports International, which was formed in 1992.

I am also an accomplished photographer having been invited to display my work at the Lishui (China) Photography Festival. Four of my pieces were placed on permanent display in Lishui Photography Museum. I have displayed my photography in galleries and private showings in the Pacific Northwest.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Like anything else, there are always bumps in the road. But those are good as it is a learning process and you refine your process developing new ideas and concepts. Taking things in stride is so important and not always easy to do. One of the challenges at times has been scheduling. As each piece is a one-of-a-kind my process does take time. It is usually at least three weeks and often longer before a piece is completed. I did a Buckeye burl wall piece that was five feet long and two and a half feet wide with an inlay of 21 pieces of stone. It took almost six months before I found the combination of stone and inlay that was right.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The way that I use stone and inlay creates my style. A lot of people do live edge tables but don’t do inlay like I do. For example, I did a coffee table from live edge Oregon black walnut that had over 90 pieces of stone and inlay in it. The piece took six weeks to do.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
It is not really a lesson but that nature is simply amazing! Far beyond what I was aware before doing the live edge tables and art. The uniqueness of each piece of wood; the pattern, color and detail are amazing. A mango dining table I did had colors that you would not expect to see in wood. It was an array of auburns, golds, yellows and browns but also had greens, pinks and reds threaded throughout the piece.

Stone is similar. The outside is plain and ordinary but inside there is incredible color and patterning. Many pieces look like they have been painted but it is all done by nature. One of my favorites is Mookite jasper from Queensland, Australia. It is shades of white with yellows, purples, blacks, browns and golds blended together. It is amazing.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.naturalwoodedge.com
• Instagram: @liveedgecreations
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickgriggsaz
• Twitter: @naturalwoodedge
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeV1g1uTYBz-N9r5MesY9Cg

Image Credits
Rick Griggs