Steve Thomson is a wood artist and owner of Happy Life Wood.
His Work
I specialize in sneaker carvings and also do wood portraits. My pieces take 100-400 hours with the majority of the work being done with a rotary tool. None of my pieces are painted or stained. Instead, I choose the right colors in the different species of wood to depict the image I’m trying to portray.
It all started with me carving a wooden sneaker to give to my son for his birthday. I consider myself a bit of a “sneaker head.” I’d never made anything like that before and when I gave it to him, he told me I needed to consider doing it full time. Here we are two and a half years later and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I no longer work in the corporate world but out of the workshop I built in my garage.
After my initial sneaker piece, I tried my first portrait of Kobe Bryant and my business catapaulted from there. It still blows my mind that I’m doing commissioned work for NBA players and one of world’s leading sneaker brands. I love what I do, and like many artists and woodworkers, find enjoyment in working withmy hands.
His Workflow
Each of my pieces starts out on the computer and I use my tablet to trace out the shapes I’ll need. With my large format printer, I’m able to produce a template of my project. Using my bandsaw, jointer, and planer, I then mill the wood to get it to the right aspect ratio. Once I achieve that, I cut out the pieces using my scroll saw and put them together like a puzzle. I then start the carving process.
My workshop is set up so it supports my workflow. The computer workstation, rotary tool, and most frequently used machinery are laid out in a U-shape and I pivot between the different stations as I work.
His Dust Collection Setup
I have tried several different dust collection setups and the Oneida Air Benchtop is by far the most concentrated dust collector for power carving. The fact that I can move it around my shop and even take it with me to other locations is huge!
See more of Steve Thomson’s amazing work on Instagram, TikTok, and his website, happylifewood.com.
