Artist sees the possibilities beyond carpentry skills
(CONCORD, CA Oct. 23, 2022) — Manny Sanchez is a carpenter, woodworker and craftsman. He is also a new artist, creating pieces inspired by the grains, knots and unique patterns he sees in the wood that he works.
His woodworking creations are fun, eye-catching and unusual, but Sanchez did not start out thinking about becoming an artist. His passion has been woodworking since his high school days.
At Ygnacio Valley High School, he signed up for metal shop class for the sole purpose of hanging out with friends. One day, he wandered next door to the woodworking shop and was intrigued with all the machines.
“It was love at first sight,” remembers Sanchez. “The possibilities for projects were endless.”
His metal shop teacher, Terry Toliver, sympathized with Sanchez’s newfound interest and gave him permission to work in the woodshop instead. Toliver also spent time teaching him safety and proper machine usage.
“Mr. Toliver was my first woodworking mentor, and I probably wouldn’t have developed the love for woodworking if it weren’t for him,” notes Sanchez, who received the Industrial Arts Student of the Year Award that year.
Rekindled interest
Sanchez went on to college but left woodworking behind until the summer of 2020. With the pandemic shelter-in-place and time on his hands, he rekindled his love for working in wood. He was enjoying his return to traditional carpentry when the art world came upon him unexpectedly.
One day in 2021, Sanchez found an interesting pattern in the knots of a wooden plank. It looked like an ostrich. First, he posted a photo of the plank on a Facebook group page. After many likes and comments from the post, Sanchez “decided to take it to the next level and bring that plank to life.”
Using his wood-crafting skills, he made a business suit and glasses for the ostrich and named it Gerald. He posted a photo on the group page, and it was a hit. Due to the positive feedback, Sanchez decided to keep going.
Like other artists, Sanchez has discovered the joys of the art-making process.
“I can work for 12 hours straight and totally lose track of time. You end up falling in love with the journey of a project, not just the final product.”
Although his preferred media is wood, he is looking to paint to enhance his art. He recently purchased an airbrush and plans to add more color to his work.
He loves seeing smiles on people’s faces as they view his artwork. “Many people have told me that they can never see wooden knots the same way after they see my work. I hope my art can encourage people to see the world with a different perspective. Art is all around us.”
Find Sanchez’s artwork on Instagram @mannyscarpentry. Email comments and suggestions for future columns to phjona@gmail.com.
John Nakanishi
John Nakanishi is treasurer of The Concord Art Association. He is an acrylic painter and a ceramic artist. When John isn’t creating art, he coaches soccer for East Bay Eclipse, a competitive soccer club based in Moraga. He is also an avid trail runner, enjoying runs from 5 miles to 50K.