Beautiful woodwork

I am not entirely sure what this is called. It's simple beauty captivates me. I have looked at it closely over and over, amazed at the intricacies.


This is a flower - obviously, and it is carved, shaved or whittled from one piece of wood. I believe it was made some time in the 1970's, but am not entirely certain. It was made by a man named Zack Yeary. He lived in the hills of Eastern Kentucky and created some wonderful items from wood.

As luck would have it - in the not too distant past I stayed with a woman who worked with Zack many years ago. He gifted her a big basket of a variety of flowers carved from wood. With that basket she had a few extras, one of these little wooden treasures was generously offered to me, this is the flower you see above.

Last year I met Zack's son Lonnie - the same Lonnie who's funeral I attended a few weeks ago.


He was a wonderful craftsman, he made wood come to life in his hand turned bowls. Once again good fortune smiled up me and I was gifted one of his beautiful bowls last year.



I don't know if his talent came from his father, but it was evident in his creations that he had a true fondness for working with wood as did his father.


Zack and Lonnie Yeary, Kentucky

I never met Zack and Lonnie, I only knew for a short time, yet I feel lucky to have admired their works of art up close.

I don't know that Zack's descendants have much of his wood work. I know many of the chairs he made for a church in the hills were stolen, it's any one's guess where they are now or if they even still exist.

I wanted to post photos of the flower here as I am getting ready to send it on to Zack's family. It feels right to me that is where this treasure should be... enjoyed by his descendants.