JR Moyer
JR Moyer
Lives in Hammond Oregon at the top most corner of the state where the Columbia meets the Pacific. Living in a fine old home built in 1889 and have an attached workshop filled to the brim with a collection of wood found along the coastal shores and downstream river banks. He is self taught and still learning after 30 years of fascination about wood, its unique characteristics and place in man’s history. JR has a great love of texture, grain, and in blending styles from contemporary, abstract and traditional artistries. His work has been shown in galleries in Maryland, Oregon and Washington. His pieces have been featured in settings from restaurant entrances in Austin Texas to shopping malls in Southern Maryland as well as area magazines highlighting local art and artists in and around the Oregon coast. His commissioned works hang in the city council chambers of Cannon Beach OR to private collections across the US.
JR received a degree in Marine Biology from the University of Texas and did his Graduate work both at the Texas research facility in Port Aransas and at the Friday Harbor Labs of the University of Washington. It was during this time in the San Juan Islands of Washington that he knew that he belonged in the coastal Northwest.
His unexplained fascination with collecting antique hammers and his marine biology background resulted in the “mash-up” name of his studio and small business:
“Hammerhead Woodworking”
Light sculptures by J.R. Moyer
"I spend winters and early Spring combing the north coast beaches of Oregon and Washington looking for interesting pieces of driftwood for my art. The process is sometimes wet and wild as storms and seasonal weather wash inland treasures out of local ( and sometimes distant rivers ) into the Pacific where tides bring them back to shore. Time on the beach is both exhilarating and contemplative. What is here today can be gone at the next tide. Each trip is wholly unique. Each piece carries an unknown history and I thoroughly enjoy my time exploring and presenting such natural organic forms."
"I use hand made papers over armatures of natural reed. With the incorporation of dimmers, one can personalize the experience…"
"The goal here is to allow grounding and peace in a very fast paced world. Warm, dim lighting can create a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. There is emotion at play in the interaction between light and darkness ...between light source and wood. Creating mood in low light is as much about the shadows as it is about the light. In combining these fascinating pieces of driftwood with the organic shapes of the shades I hope to allow a unique creation of a calm introspective space."
-JR Moyer