J. Elliott Young is an industrial artist in Marin, California, creating intricate works of laser-cut wood and stained-glass art. His pieces combine natural materials and classic design elements with modern techniques.
Young was introduced to traditional woodworking at the age of 8 by his grandfather, who handed down the skills that he had been taught by his own father. While Young’s skill set expanded to encompass everything from painting to digital animation to practical FX for Hollywood blockbuster films, he was always drawn back to woodworking and the intimate craftsmanship that the medium requires.
Young’s grandfather’s 83rd birthday served as the inspiration for the “Age of Oak” piece, whose design combined contemporary laser-cutting with painstaking wood finishing completed entirely by hand. “Age of Oak” also marked the first time Young incorporated stained glass into his pieces.
“I use stained glass instead of paper, fabric, or even acrylic because light and stained glass play together in a way no other two materials can,” says Young. “Depending on lighting conditions, time of day—even the angle at which you approach a piece—you can see radically different effects. The varying reflections, distortions, and opacity in stained glass imbue each finished piece with a truly unique character.”
Since creating “Age of Oak,” Young has drawn on his professional experience in classical art and digital design, his lifelong love of woodworking, and his extensive travels across Europe and Asia to design a growing series of unique, small-scale artwork that includes wall decor, window sculptures, and even ornate CD/DVD cases. He hopes to expand into larger-scale furniture pieces of equally high quality in the near future.
Says Young, “The goal of these pieces isn’t to create just another practical piece of wall art—I hope to share something striking and beautiful that anyone would be proud to have as a focal piece in their home.”
Young’s grandfather’s 83rd birthday served as the inspiration for the “Age of Oak” piece, whose design combined contemporary laser-cutting with painstaking wood finishing completed entirely by hand. “Age of Oak” also marked the first time Young incorporated stained glass into his pieces.
“I use stained glass instead of paper, fabric, or even acrylic because light and stained glass play together in a way no other two materials can,” says Young. “Depending on lighting conditions, time of day—even the angle at which you approach a piece—you can see radically different effects. The varying reflections, distortions, and opacity in stained glass imbue each finished piece with a truly unique character.”
Since creating “Age of Oak,” Young has drawn on his professional experience in classical art and digital design, his lifelong love of woodworking, and his extensive travels across Europe and Asia to design a growing series of unique, small-scale artwork that includes wall decor, window sculptures, and even ornate CD/DVD cases. He hopes to expand into larger-scale furniture pieces of equally high quality in the near future.
Says Young, “The goal of these pieces isn’t to create just another practical piece of wall art—I hope to share something striking and beautiful that anyone would be proud to have as a focal piece in their home.”