© James McNabb

What is this creation from woodworking artist James McNabb?

A musical instrument?

A child’s toy?

A paper organizer?

Late one night, McNabb stood at a bandsaw cutting forms from wood that was leftover from various other projects.

As he finished each piece, he set it up on the table next to him until he had quite a collection.

When he paused and looked at the group, he had an “Oh, I see” moment. He had created a cityscape. (Do you see it now, too?)

James McNabb prepares his pieces for a exhibit called “Four Square Blocks.”
© James McNabb

Cityscapes Come to Life

Discarded wood and a crowded cityscape don’t normally bring the word “beauty” to mind. But McNabb’s work might give you a new view.

It’s still got the raw, ripped edges that city life might have, but McNabb has worked with those rough elements and fit them together with sanded smooth, perfectly flush sides.

And then he expanded his cityscape work by twisting the city into different shapes.

City Wheel
© James McNabb

The “City Wheel” circle denotes a wagon wheel and is an interpretation of the journey from the suburbs to the city.

McNabb himself took a journey from the suburbs to the city (not by wagon wheel, though!).

He grew up outside of New York City—close enough to sit on a hilltop and dream over the distant stairstep skyscraper skyline. Over the years, he moved closer and closer into the urban environment and now lives, not in NYC, but in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In his view, the city was the destination for success.

But he learned that getting there can turn your world upside down.

City Table
© James McNabb

“City Table” allows you to see the city from several views: the structures themselves, the shadows they create, and even their map-like footprints on the tabletop.

This work of art might not make for a pleasant seat at the table, but McNabb knows how to make more functional furniture. In fact, he was commissioned to create a stunning one-of-a-kind conference table for the Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

A trained furniture maker, he planned to focus his career on making unique furniture like the conference table. Then the cityscapes project grabbed him, and his artistic project ideas continued to grow and expand.

City Sphere
© James McNabb

“City Sphere” explores the idea that our small circle of a planet has been taken over by massive cities. McNabb may feel a little like that with his work now—but for him, the takeover is an inspirational one.

In his life journey from suburbs to city and furniture maker to cityscape artist, McNabb has learned to make something out of nothing.

For him, that means making meaningful art out of bits of discarded wood and, in the process, offering the world new views of city blocks.

© James McNabb

Inspired to do some woodworking of your own? Start with our free download:

Read about Josh Humphrey, another woodworker who turns reclaimed wood into beautiful stringed instruments.

Woodworkers can find inspiration and help at Woodworking Network, Wood Magazine, and Popular Woodworking.  

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.