Lone Survivor began with a section of live oak that had endured enough weather, growth, and loss to leave behind a form that felt almost architectural. Rather than reshape it into something conventional, I followed the natural flare of the trunk and the irregular movement of the grain.

The base spreads outward like roots still reaching for the ground, while the upper portion rises cleanly to support the glass. I kept the form simple so the character of the wood could remain dominant—the long flowing grain, the old cracks, and the evidence of where branches once grew.

Live oak has a way of carrying its history visibly. Even after the tree is gone, that strength remains in the wood.

That is where the name Lone Survivor came from. The piece feels less like something made from a tree than something that has simply endured long enough to become something new.