Workshop / 001

Developing Acanthus Cascade

September 2026 · Pine · Scrollwork

This piece began as a procedural pattern generated in Scrollworks. The objective was to see how well the digitally generated forms would survive the transition into an actual carved surface.

Production photographs / September 2026

01 Generation

Acanthus Cascade procedural pattern with curling acanthus leaves in black outlines on white. — Original Scrollworks pattern

The original generated pattern is the reference point for the carving that follows.

02 Rough carving

Pine panel with the pattern drawn on its surface and the first recessed cuts around the scrollwork. — Rough carving

The pattern moves into pine, with router work beginning the transition from generated forms to a carved surface.

03 Cleanup

Close view of carved scrolls and leaves with pencil marks and rough tool cuts before sanding. — Cleanup / Before sanding

Full view of the pine scrollwork panel after sanding, standing on a glass table. — Cleanup / Sanded

The handwork is where the mechanically generated geometry starts becoming the carving.

04 Shellac

Acanthus Cascade panel at the shellac stage, showing the raised leaves and recessed background. — Shellac

Shellac comes before the natural stain in this sequence.

05 Stain & finished piece

Finished Acanthus Cascade panel viewed from above, with darker color tracing the carved recesses. — Acanthus Cascade / Natural stain / Finished

This stage continues the experiments with stain collecting in the recesses of the carving.

Pine / Router + hand tools / Shellac / Natural stain / 2026