Tom Bolton
Dallas County

Woodwork

When asked to describe his art, Tom Bolton said “I would not call it art…I would call it a labor of love and something I do whenever I need to escape from the stress of my job and my life.  It is peace for me.  I am a woodworker – it’s as simple as that.  I work primarily in wood – but also in some metals.”

Tom spent his childhood working with his Daddy in his woodworking shop. He said that he inherited his tools and his passion for working with wood from him.  Tom’s materials come from reclaimed old buildings.  He said he “doesn’t believe they should be simply torn down and discarded”.  He said that depending on an item, a project he makes might take from two hours to two years to make.  “It might be as simple as a cross which is truly my favorite or as complex as a table for twenty,” he said.

Heart pine is by far Tom’s favorite species of wood for carving bible verses and old southern sayings that he learned as a child.  His other projects have included lamps, tables, crosses, plaques, knives, pens, pencils, chairs, cabinets and other furniture pieces.

Tom has worked with wood in various forms for over forty years, stopping only “when my Daddy died”.  Needing an outlet from job related stresses of being a builder, Tom returned to woodworking because it was an enjoyable and fulfilling release to complete a task with his hands. And he said “It’s also a lost art. I feel it’s a calling and it’s very calming to me.  Plus I love doing it for other people and sharing my heritage with them.”