Coffined Creations
Nyx Graybee
Coffined Creations is
the creation of designer and one-man-show, Dee. Featuring one-of-a-kind items for the sarcophagus-loving set, Coffined Creations is new this spring to the Goth Rosary website. These pieces recall the antique charm of Victorian caskets with the environmentally conscious construction that comes with working with the spirit of the wood from traditional Druid
reverence for nature. This spiritual ethic produces lovely velvet lined purses, quality wooden keepsake boxes and larger furniture pieces
that literally, have a life of their own!
Dee takes his work very seriously, selecting wood that has a good spirit and wishes to be fashioned into one of his works of art. Solid wood and wood based glues are used as to not conflict with the soul of the wood, as veneers and other man-made products do. No nails are used in the process except for the hinges and the hardware. Stain and other coatings are used to bring out the beauty of the piece, not hide the
wood under paint or do anything that doesn’t let the pure essence of the wood come through to tell its story. On purses, the lid is inset
with original artwork or photos of graveyards that are decoupaged to give them a surreal look. Hardware is used to add to this in the form
of fanged enclosures, pointed hinges and handles on the purses that can be metal or a more traditional casket handle style, complete with added
bat motif. The result is an item with an outside visage that reflects the inner soul of the wood used. Dee crafts all his creations using
this caring technique.
The following is an interview with Dee about the process of making
and finishing these handcrafted treasures.
How long have you been creating items out of wood?
Dee: I started out doing woodworking projects in the house
several years ago. Then about a year ago I started making coffin furniture for my own use. One day someone saw my stuff and said I
should try selling them.
What drew you to make coffin furniture for your house?
Dee: I wanted furniture that brought me peace and comfort.
What inspires you?
Dee: The spirit of the wood gives me the vision of what it wants
to be. Knowing that I have the cooperation of the wood and that its
destiny rests in my hands inspires me to do the best job I possibly can.
What woods do you use in your creations? Do you have a
favorite wood?
I use any wood that has a tender loving spirit. I do not discriminate based upon labels. In every one of my creations there
will be at least two types of wood used. Before I use wood in a
particular item, I make sure each piece has good karma with the others.
A happy association of wood makes for a piece with good karma.
How do you sense the wood and how do you know it is right for
your projects?
I don’t know how it is that I can sense the wood. I feel its love and warmth from the stack of all the other boards. I can feel it
pulling me toward it and when I uncover the one calling out to me, I pull it out of the pile. Then I wait for the next spirit to pull me
towards it. The wood tells me the project(s) it should be used in. Sometimes the wood has the vision for a project but its spirit does not
have good karma with the other piece of wood. If that is the case, this particular board will be saved for another project.
Was there a time when you knew the wood wasn’t right? What
feelings did you have then?
Many times I have felt a resentful spirit in a piece of wood.
Sometimes I feel pain and sometimes a deep sadness at the beauty that
cannot be used.
Why use coffins as the base of your work?
I have always seen coffins as simple but perfect items of
beauty. I find their design comforting and very peaceful.
Since the coffin is seen as a symbol of death, what is your
view on death, especially death in modern American culture?
Death is a time of rest and replenishing one’s strength to
prepare for a life anew. Funerals are basically for the living.
People say things they didn’t say before and most likely didn’t feel.
The way death is feared by many is amusing. Even those who profess
religious beliefs that teach of a life after death want to hold on to
this life no matter what the circumstances.
How did you and Antisally (owner of Goth Rosary) meet?
I had told several people that I was looking for some particular wood carved skulls from Bali to use as furniture legs. A
friend who buys from AntiSally told me to look at the skulls she sells
on her site. I did and they were exactly what I was looking for at the
best price but she only had a few in stock. So I emailed her about the
possibility of getting more. She returned my email and I told her what
I wanted them for and things just fell into place from there.
What do you try to accomplish with a product from Coffined Creations?
One of the things I try to accomplish is to create a piece
that reflects the age and wisdom of the wood’s spirit. If one looks
closely at the expression of the wood in any piece and truly feels its
presence, its age and wisdom will show forth. That is one of the
reasons I will not paint wood. I have no problem using paint in
limited areas, but I will not smother a piece in paint and thus stifle
the creativity and hide the age and wisdom of the wood.
Do you offer guarantees on your work, for example, if a handle
breaks on a purse?
If someone receives a piece of my work and is not satisfied, I will do my best to make the situation right. If that means a refund,
fixing the problem or sending a whole new piece then that is what I have to do. Depending upon the length of time after the purchase and
the circumstances of the handle problem, I would replace them. In the future I will start offering a metal handle instead of the coffin
handle looking handles.
Do you take requests?
A large part of my business is by special request. For that reason, I keep very little inventory on hand.
Describe your Druid faith in a few sentences.
I believe nature is the life force of creation. Everything
has a spirit and every spirit has its own path it must walk. All life
springs from the Earth and in the Earth is the creator of all things,
an all-powerful, non-gendered being, that is God. Aside from my worship
of nature, my Druid beliefs stray from the accepted norm.
Finished items from Coffin Creations can be purchased at Goth Rosary, a website that features an exclusively scented fragrance line,
handmade rosaries and other items to complement your purchase from Dee. Dee can also be reached at bleedingshadow@earthlink.net for
custom work.
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