All trees have their own figure, which is not to be mistaken for grain. Grain refers to the overall direction the wood fibers grow; figure means the odd lines and shapes and knitting that occur when the tree’s growth has been interfered with, by nature or by man. An example would be when you have two trunks that are coming out of one, and the growth pattern is splitting and the cells are intertwining. There are all kinds of names for it that describe the type of figure in wood. I select those very carefully and then it’s a matter of bringing out the natural beauty.
