An
accidental artist
Napa man’s woodworking hobby evolves in unexpected ways
T R AC Y S K E LTO N
W
hen Rep. Mike Thompson arrived at John Sensenbaugh’s west Na p a h o m e f o r a mutual friend’s going-away party, he noticed that the garage door was open. Inside was a scroll saw and dozens of wooden shapes littering a work bench, like oversized jigsaw pieces. Thompson’s interest was piqued; “I’ve always had an interest in people’s hobbies – what they do and how they
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do it.” Thompson exchanged salutations with Sensenbaugh and asked what he was working on. Sensenbaugh didn’t have a name for his hobby – he isn’t aware of anyone creating art like what has evolved in his garage over the past few years. “Wood art,” Sensenbaugh said. Thompson had “never heard of wood art,” prompting Sensenbaugh to lead his congressman inside.
Lining a stairwell and living room walls were unframed, quarter-inch plywood rectangles, mostly 18-by-24 inches in size, serving as backdrops for intricately cut wooden shapes set tightly together and glued. They are relief puzzles, made from scratch. The results include replica movie posters (noir is a theme), album covers (Rolling Stones and Dylan), a wine bottle label (Il Bastardo), or anything that strikes
SEPTEMBER 2020
