Thanks for having a look at our website.  Please feel free to e-mail me at jsquare@square-designs.com with any questions you may have about a specific piece or in general.  Thanks!

UPDATE! August 2023

My book is out!  Contact me for a signed copy!

Artist Statement from Janette                                                                              
“When I create an intarsia for someone, I strive to create something meaningful and personal to them. Whether a portrait of a beloved pet or a landscape of someplace that holds a special meaning, these custom pieces challenge me to bring to life in wood, a part of their life that is important to them.  This, I find is the most rewarding aspect of what I do.  When my art work brings happiness to someone - it is the best reason I can think of to create it.”
 

Here are a few of my favorites.  If you'd like me to create any of these or my other pieces just for you please let me know.

Artist Bio
 

I’ve always been creative in some form. Until Intarsia, my outlets were drawing, photography, gardening and creating pressed flower bouquets.  In 1995 my husband, 3 cats and I relocated to Eugene, Oregon from Toronto, Canada. Here, I first discovered intarsia at a local craft show. I was fascinated.  We purchased pieces for ourselves and as gifts. These were all created from Western Red Cedar.  Around 1999, Kevin, my husband, became interested in woodworking and began accumulating tools.  Looking for an excuse to spend time in the shop, I bought a scroll saw and began exploring how this interesting art form called Intarsia was created. Armed with a book by Judy Gayle Roberts, a few blades and some wood, I made the first two projects from Judy’s book.  I was hooked!  My first visit to a lumber store was an eye opener; there were so many varieties and colors of wood!  I was amazed at the beautiful choices.  Why only use one type of wood when you can use several…or more?  I purchased more patterns and my wood addiction began.

In December 2002 I found myself unemployed and by the following June, I was doing my first Arts & Crafts show and creating intarsia full time. Being a cat person, I gravitated towards cat designs.  Not finding many that had the realism I was looking for, I began designing my own.  Then and still, I tend towards designing detailed, realistic projects, especially portraits of beloved furry companions. In 2005 I received honorable mention in Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts’ design contest challenge with a portrait I created of a Ragdoll cat.  Shortly thereafter, I became a contributor to the magazine. I was becoming known for my custom pet portraits and since then, have memorialized pets in wood for clients all over the world.  One of these portraits “Tailgate Party” won Best in Show and People’s Choice Award at the Rhododendron Festival in Florence, OR. Throughout my career, I’ve been featured in numerous publications and even local TV news. I have been contributing to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts and other magazines since 2006. I also enjoy giving private classes to aspiring Intarsia artists. In 2014, I took this to the next level by giving seminars at the Fine Woodworking Showcase in Saratoga Springs, NY and the Fox Chapel Woodworking Show in PA. I felt like a Rock Star at these events and would love to do more in the future!  Meeting Intarsia enthusiasts and helping them to become better at the craft we all love is very rewarding. 

These days, I reside in a small village on the central Oregon Coast with my husband and varying number of cats. I do my best to keep my tools from rusting from the salt air and gather much of my design inspiration from the beauty of nature that surrounds me in this very special corner of the world.

Janette

And now for something completely different.