Intarsia - Painting With Wood

Wooden inlay dog on a cushion by Mario Smith on display at Barbados Crop Over craft market in Bridgetown.

A walk around the craft market at the Crop Over in Bridgetown, Barbados, transcended one into the annals of time. The aroma of local cuisine being cooked by the wayside, the vendors displaying their wares - from toys to paintings to crafts and even vegetables and plants - the blaring soca music, and a few revellers whining away to the beats.

The atmosphere under the crisp Caribbean sunshine was reminiscent of fun and frolic. Tucked away from the excitement, Mario Smith displayed the intarsia art he creates.

Wooden inlay creations by Mario Smith 

Necessity is the mother of all invention, it is said and Smith, who worked as a joiner - making doors, windows, and kitchen cupboards - had to stay home after his son was born. "I stayed back home as my wife had to go back to work, this was 2004," he said. "When I was home, I started to research on the Internet and came across saw art and decided to try it.

"I started to trace patterns on the wood, used that as a back-panel and then cut them with a saw. The mechanism is same like a sewing machine; the saw alternates the cuts, which gives a clean, seamless finish.

It is an intensive exercise which takes a lot of precision and patience to execute the process. The scroll saw art piece takes around two to three hours to finish. Yearning to do something more, he turned his energies to intarsia - a form of wood inlaying in a matrix.

Wooden inlay dolphins

A self-learner, Smith informed that his experiments with intarsia and its subsequent receptiveness in the market led him to concentrate on this art form. This, he says, over the years, has also become gratifying.

Meticulous Process

Unlike saw art, intarsia involves a very meticulous process. "I draw the designs and then start piecing the artwork together."

Smith explained that, first, he selects different varieties of wood, and uses their natural grain pattern and colour to create the artwork. However, he said that he sometimes applies stains or colours to complement the work, this gives a variation in the pattern.

He scouts for leftover or discarded wood at furniture manufacturing units. After selecting the specific types of wood to be used in the artwork that is being created, each piece is then individually cut, shaped, and finished.

Wooden inlay stork

The pieces are put together like a jigsaw puzzle. "I start off with the most raised area of the pattern - like the nose of the dog," he said. The asymmetry of the wooden pieces in the pattern provides depth.

Smith is inspired by nature, which is reflected in his work. The figurines of dolphins, dogs, whales and other animals are the focal points.

"I love what I do," he says, adding that he does not repeat a design that he makes, which adds to the uniqueness of his creations.

Though he is able to make a living from his art, Smith says that there is a lot that can be done in terms of finding new markets specially in the Caribbean.

Intarsia artist Mario Smith with his creations 

Mario says he is currently the only intarsia professional in Barbados. "I want my artwork to be in every house in Barbados," Smith says with a coy smile, adding. "I want to further establish myself and then I would like to teach youngsters this art."