Art’s Tree House was founded based on the Biophilia Hypothesis: the notion that there is an innate human desire or tendency to seek connection with nature. Hand-crafted from reclaimed lumber and trees within California, each piece combines truly organic forms with utility so time amongst nature can be everday. From collecting to drying the wood, to hand carving, sanding, and finishing it, the entire furniture-making process takes place under one roof at Art’s Tree House.
As a child I spent my time immersed in the elements, collaborating with them. I had an unquenchable thirst for discovery, something altogether different from the rigid and exacting routine prescribed by the modern world, something ripe with possibilities. I climbed to the tops of trees, dug the deepest holes I could dig, carved tunnels through the snow, and built rafts driven only by the river's current. My grandfather used to say, "never stop, it's good for the soul," and it's only in hindsight that I realize I never did.
My explorations of the natural world continue today through a series of intimate collaborations with fallen and forgotten timbers. Surrendering my creative agency, I allow the unique form, origin, and narrative of each specimen I collect to drive my entire creative process. Looking not to a fleshed-out, detailed design, but to my materials for instruction, I am able to maintain the aspect of chance that is ever-present in the natural world and create functional objects for all to enjoy that feel as alive and full of wisdom as nature itself.
Dylan Arthur Howard, 2022