17 Nov 2025 Life Art

Handmade Wood Art Jewelry

I have posted a lot of different photos of a lot of different things on my site over the years.

David Fishing in the Colorado River (view full res)

I have posted a lot of different photos of a lot of different things on my site over the years, but I think this is the first handmade wooden art jewelry that has come across my desk. These pieces were donated by Deborah to our local hospital for the 2025 EAMC Foundation 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Auction to raise money for their new mental health facility construction project. They needed photos of the three items for the auction, so I had a chance to practice up on my product photography.

These pieces were pretty special to Deborah as they were handmade by her step-father, David Christal, and left to her when he passed away last year. He was a master woodworker and jewelry craftsman, and only made original pieces from scratch. These are all truly one of a kind, hand made from oak wood he collected himself.

Father-in-law Reading the Paper (view full res)

I have vivid memories of him collecting these pieces of drift wood in the Colorado River while he and I trudged through the rocky banks trying not to fall over in the freezing water. Generally speaking, he fished and I took photos, mostly of him fishing. This is the same sorta of routine we had when he played golf. I played with him for a few years, but I was always better at driving him around and taking photos of him teeing off.

David Playing Golf in Gulf Shores (view full res)

Every once in a while, though not often enough, I gave him one of those photos. I have so rarely ever printed my images (which is actually something every photographer should do, often), and on this occasion for his birthday I gave him this shot of the interstate bridge that overlooked the Dallas skyline where he lived. It's still one of my favorite images of Dallas at night, in my catalog anyway.

David Opens Dallas Night Photo (view full res)

The Dallas Skyline at Night (view full res)

He taught me most of what little I know about woodworking and building things like a motorhome/bus that has no square corners. He loved making things out of wood from tiny things to massive cabinets. Below are the three pieces he made that Deborah donated.