"The Wood Wyrm" is where you can see wood intarsia pieces by Becky Barnes. Becky comes from a family of artists – each with their own unique talents.
Many hours as a child were spent in her grandfather’s carpentry shop, father’s jewelry store, and mother’s painting studio. Mix together all of the fine detail, plus a love of stained glass design, and she found wood intarsia to be a perfect artistic medium. A self-taught woodworker, Becky enjoys drafting her own patterns for projects. Where many modern intarsia artists employ an almost sculptural
This is why I drill out the holes of my cross stitch blanks, in real wood, instead of using a laser. I tried again with plywood, which at least didn’t start on fire, but it looks and feels cheap. All the edges and holes are blackened (to be expected). All in all - I’ll keep drilling, and leave the laser to marking surfaces.
04/25/2026
Arrrrrrrgh - I be at the “Snow Daze Carve-In” this weekend, working on me skills, and trading cross-stitch blanks for treasure. It be a good day!
04/18/2026
Sliiiight detour from my regular medium. Both my Mom and paternal Grandma ran ceramics studios when I was little, and sometimes the desire to work with clay becomes overwhelming. Happily the local Art Center just held a “build your own dragon” class, and it was too good of an opportunity to play!
Meet… the fungal floral incense-burning dragon! We’ll see if it survives firing, did my best to remove bubbles, and slip-scratched all the attached bits. Fingers crossed!
04/10/2026
Don’t worry! I’ll be back to working soon. Carpal tunnel surgery now, means a future of less pain, and more functionality. Just a minor hiccup.
03/17/2026
Had tree branches fall in the yard, and wanted to upcycle them into something. I love how nuthatches are such crazy gymnasts (check out their hallux claws!) - worked up a flat plane birb, and affixed it to the branch with a dowel. Added a magnet and bingo! New fridge buddy.
Future Flickertail carving project for the May Whittle-In. Yes, it was a number of branches! The dog was very sad when she watched me cut up a perfectly good stick.
03/14/2026
Ash wood with amber, and walnut wood with malachite. I’m excited to see how these turn out!
The piece with a dot is for making example pieces. That way there’s a record of the wood-stone combinations I’ve made.
03/12/2026
New Runes in the making! Ash (finished runes) and Elm (boards below).
Made a jaunt to Wood From the Hood to find the Elm. I’ve never worked with it before - but it’s very pleasing! It’s a little softer, and smells vaguely of cedar or juniper.
02/27/2026
Trying to get as many blanks done as possible. I’ll be teaching in Wahpeton, ND this June, and I have a vendor table at Snow Daze (St. Cloud, MN) this April. Lots of new designs, and im adding more constantly - a list is available here: https://thewoodwyrm.com/shop/
If you’re interested in carving and woodworking opportunities in the Midwest, check out www.carvinghub.org
02/02/2026
One Rebel Loon cross stitch, on cherry wood.
Because I can’t make art if I’m dead. I can’t sell art if my customers are kidnapped. I can’t take classes if my teachers are deported.
Ice Out.
01/15/2026
I am taking a greenwood bowl carving class through the American Swedish Institute.
What kind of bowl is it…….?
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A CHIP bowl!