Christine Meyer-Eaglestone’s background is in Fine Art. But on a cabinet-making course, she discovered marquetry and this was to be the catalyst for bringing together her previous experience and interest in architectural space and two-dimensional design. She now specialises in marquetry.

Her surface designs range from the complex to the minimal and often explore the relationship between the man-made and the organic form.

Christine uses traditional veneers as well as reconstructed wood veneers which are available in unusual patterns and colours. She finds that each type of veneer complements the other and so they often appear together in her designs.

The process of marquetry using veneers is one of continually cutting and re-cutting by hand. Whole areas of a panel may be eliminated and replaced as the design evolves. During this process, Christine will be surrounded by palettes of veneers in the way a painter would with paint. Finished designs are pressed in a Plattenpress or Vacuumpress and balanced with a veneer on the reverse. The piece is finished after extensive sanding and multiple layers of matt varnish. Christine uses this process to create wall panels, sometimes in relief, as well as screens, mirror frames, chests, boxes and cabinets. These are mostly one-off pieces but some can be repeated in small numbers.