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Hixson spends roughly 200 hours on each piece. He starts by choosing the wood
to be used. Sometimes the wood comes from construction sites, where Hixson takes trees and logs that have already been cut
down. Or, after a storm or hurricane, he will use the trees that have fallen. Sometimes even, different neighbors will notify
Hixson of fallen trees in the area.
After the wood is obtained, James examines the log to identify which shape the piece will take. Often, natural knots or even
rot will influence the creation. Due to the uniqueness of each log, no two pieces are ever the same. The next step is to cut out the unnecessary parts of the log by chainsaw. He uses a 33cc,
14 inch bar, gas powered saw- which probably thoroughly annoys the neighbors.
After the rough cut is finished, James will then begin fine shaping with an angle grinder. This smooths out the lines and
forms the piece. Next, he uses a rough
grid sander to smooth the piece even more. After it gets to the exact shape and from that he wants, Hixson sands again with
an 80 grid paper and finishing with a 220.
He completes each piece with a detailed rubbing of linseed oil. This brings out the natural grains and color of the wood.
"I love to watch the creative process unfold. I never know exactly how a piece will turn out.
Sometimes, the evolution of a sculpture takes weeks..." -Hixson
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