2025 in Resin & Timber — A Year of Waves, Wood & Growth at Hardwood Tides

It’s that time again: the tide slows, the light softens, and I find myself looking back over the year — not just at the pieces I made, but at what this craft has become. 2025 has been a wild ride for Hardwood Tides: creative breakthroughs, new commissions, old slabs given new life, and continued growth as an artist on the Sunshine Coast. Here’s a peek behind the resin gloss and into what the year meant, how it shaped my hands (and heart), and what I’m paddling toward next.

What 2025 Brought: Highlights from the Studio

• New commissions with bigger scope. From sculptural surf-art for coastal homes to statement pieces for commercial interiors — this year saw some of the largest, most ambitious works yet. Each commission pushed me to stretch both creative vision and technical craft.

• Exploring new timber & resin combinations. I experimented with timber species and resin pigment blends that I hadn’t tried before — discovering new textures, wave-patterns and timber/resin interactions that brought out subtleties in wood grain and coast-inspired flow.

• Deepening the sustainability commitment. As always, every piece begins with sustainably sourced Australian timber. In 2025, I doubled down on material sourcing: rescuing more slabs, working with local suppliers, and giving neglected wood a new lease on life, transforming ‘waste’ into meaningful art.

• Stronger connections to clients & collectors. There’s nothing quite like seeing my art in someone’s home or business space — and this year I had the privilege of hearing stories about how pieces found their place: a beach house, a holiday home, an office waiting room, a space for family memories. Each commission felt like a collaboration, a shared vision, a new story to anchor in wood and resin.

• Growth beyond the studio. Not just in output, but in thinking: what does it mean to make art that lasts? To build something heirloom-quality, sustainable, and emotionally resonant? This year has reinforced why I left a graphic-design career behind — because woodworking and resin art allow me to capture something timeless: sea, memory, place.

Lessons From the Bench — What I Learned

• Patience matters. Those resin pours, the drying times, sanding, shaping — every step demands respect. The most satisfying pieces came when I didn’t rush, when I listened to the wood and let resin flow naturally, then refined slowly.

• Not all timber behaves the same. Some pieces needed extra care in prep, or resin layering, or sanding — but those challenges often led to the most character. Knots, grain variations, unexpected pigment absorption: that’s where resin art becomes alive.

• Collaboration leads to magic. Working closely with clients — discussing their vision, their space, their vibe — allowed some of the most unique, meaningful pieces this year. Those custom surfboard walls or sculptural centrepieces weren’t just my art — they became part of someone else’s story.

What’s Next — 2026 & Beyond

Heading into the new year, I’ve got a few intentions:

• Keep pushing boundaries: more complex shapes, larger scales, innovative resin-timber textures.

• Document more of the process: more behind-the-scenes photos/videos, resin-mixing experiments, timber selection stories — to share the craft, not just the outcome.

• Extend the sustainability ethos: exploring even more reclaimed timber sources, maybe a “timber-rescue” series — turning discarded wood into coastal art.

• Grow community: perhaps a studio open day, or a collaborative project, or simply sharing more stories from collectors and their coastal homes.

A Message to You — Fellow Sea-Lovers, Art Lovers & Dreamers

If you’ve ever felt the pull of the ocean — that constant longing for salt air, surf, and shoreline sunsets — then you get what drives Hardwood Tides. Each piece is more than décor; it’s a memory, a place, a feeling captured in resin and timber.

Thanks for following the journey in 2025. I’m stoked to keep creating, testing, refining, and connecting in 2026. Let’s ride the next wave together.

If you’re curious about commissioning a piece — or just want to chat about timber species, resin mixes, coastal colours or display ideas — I’m here. Drop me a line.

Here’s to more ocean energy, wood grain, and resin swells in the new year.