About Michael

Michael Earley is a master wood artist whose work represents a rigorous marriage of traditional woodturning and the precision of geometric illusion. Specializing in the "Basket Illusion" (trompe l'oeil) technique, Michael transforms segmented hard maple into vessels that defy their material origins. By meticulously joining individual segments to ensure a consistent side-grain surface, he creates a stable, engineered canvas for intricate pyrography and India ink. His designs, influenced by Southwest weaving and organic symmetry, require hundreds of hours of hand-inking to create a visual and tactile experience that blurs the line between wood and textile.