For artisan Craig Altobello of Peterborough, New Hampshire, marquetry, the art of assembling thin slices of wood to form an image, is an act of perfection and serendipity. His perfectionist tendencies propel him toward combing through numerous bins of hundreds of color-organized wood slices to find that piece. That’s where serendipity — finding the perfect slice — intersects with skill. The art of marquetry is not new, but it is rare. In the 16th century, Italian craftsmen began using marquetry on furniture — a stunning touch of decorative art emphasizing the beauty of wood. Today, many centuries later, Altobello marries his love of nature and wood in a contemporary version of marquetry. A longtime resident of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire, Altobello is fond of long walks in the woods and hikes in the mountains to appreciate the trees, wildlife and nature along the … [Read more...] about CRAIG ALTOBELLO: FINDING MARQUETRY’S BEAUTY BENEATH THE BARK