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Ellen Cox grinds out beautiful works of art

Ellen Cox Sculptural Wood Artist

As Executive Vice President of Creative and co-owner of Good Advertising in Memphis, Tennessee, Ellen Cox has to satisfy her oftentimes very demanding clients on a daily basis.

Away from the office she takes refuge in her workshop, where she specializes in making sculptural wood pieces, primarily small boxes that have unusual twists and turns. She also builds larger furniture pieces with her husband, Dale.

Ellen readily admits that she undergoes a transformation of sorts when she is in the workshop. The only person she needs to satisfy is herself.

"Nobody can tell you what to do," said Ellen, 53. "I'll put that faceshield on and get that angle grinder, and just start hacking at the wood and get my aggressions out until it's a really beautiful shape that no one has ever seen. That's the true fun of it. I want people to say, 'How did she get the wood to do that?' "

Of course, the process of building one of her boxes is much more involved than simply attacking a piece of exotic wood with a band saw and angle grinder. It's a creative outlet that incorporates her design skills and love of working with her hands.

Reflected Love Lamp Purpleheart base w/ Cherry heart Bubinga and Maple rods Granite stones.

Creating her work
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Ellen graduated from the University of Memphis and went to graduate school at Ole Miss. "My major was graphic design and illustration," she said. "There is so little left in graphic design that is craft anymore. Everything is done on the computer. It's really nice to do something with your hands and create something.

"That's what's cool about woodworking."

The design process begins with a sketch, which Ellen then transfers to a computer sketch. She uses that as a template to shape her design, carving the form out of glued-up pieces of Styrofoam, which allows her "to see what different shapes I can make. It kind of gives me an idea, then I go to the wood. My goal is to make the wood look fluid, as opposed to straight sides. The things that you see here are not wood-like — they're wavy."

The small pieces Ellen creates in her garage workshop often have hidden compartments and lids that open and close in unusual ways. The sculptural and whimsical qualities of her work is evident in the Reflected Love Lamp; the beam of light is reflected off a heart-shaped mirror, casting a heart pattern on the wall. "I always try to do something a little unusual," she said. "My boxes have an unusual way to open them. I'll try to set it so when the box is sitting there, the lid won't open unless you touch it in a particular way."

Heart Box Purpleheart base; Bubinga legs; Birdseye Maple lid; Centerpost is turned out of Mahogany.	Acorn Box Solid Cherry with Bubinga legs; Lids are Tiger Maple and Cherry punctuated with a few acorns; 8½" x 7½" x 11"

Another theme in Ellen's work is heart shapes, which is inspired by her charity work. Each year she donates a piece to a local center that helps abused children. She has a friendly rivalry with another woodworker to see whose submission will raise the most money during the auction. "It was my goal to get in the show and sell my box for more than what he got," she said. "Every year that's happened now."

Ellen said she primarily uses exotic wood and dowel pin joinery. All of her pieces are solidly built, a necessity for objects that are both sculptural and functional. "Someone came over to my house once and broke a box," Ellen said, laughing. "Her name is Cindy. I now call my boxes 'Cindy-proof,' so someone won't be able to break them."

Sofa Table Bubinga and Tiger Maple 30" x 16" x 57"

In the workshop
Ellen typically spends an hour every weeknight in her workshop, which is situated in a three-car garage. On weekends, she spends about six hours a day building her small pieces and furniture with her husband. Together they installed a dust collection system, cabinets and wiring, and have most of their power tools on mobile bases to make the most of the space.

"My husband and I just enjoy doing the craftsmanship of woodworking," Ellen said. "When we build a sofa table or coffee table or bookcase, we build it together. He tends to cut the big boards, and I cut the little boards. I've designed everything we've produced."

Flame Box Curly Maple w/ Bubinga & Walnut legs; Top is Tiger Maple 10½" x 4" x 7½"

Some of Ellen's work is at Tadporters Gallery in Collierville, Tennessee, and she and her husband are just finishing up a bookcase they were commissioned to make. "I have a goal of doing one (small piece) a month," she said. "I'm trying to build up an inventory so I can do a show, and I want to get some commissions for furniture."

Besides the sculptural aspects of her boxes — reminiscent of the work of Art Carpenter — another trademark is the smooth finish. Ellen sands her small pieces to 4,000 grit, while the furniture she makes with her husband is sanded to at least 1,500 grit. Ellen typically finishes her work with Tung oil and a coat of wax.

"There is nothing more satisfying to me than sanding a piece of wood with 2,000 or 4,000 grit, and it feels just like satin in your hands," she said. "It's just so smooth and wonderful. A lot of people stop sanding at 200 or 300 grit. It kind of drives my husband crazy."

To view more of Ellen’s work, visit www.goodadvertising.com/woodwork