Chet Noll's Butterfly and Hummingbird Collections

In the Butterfly and Hummingbird Collections Chet Noll captures and recreates the symmetry, graceful lines and color found in Nature's own creations. He believes that there is no better artist than Mother Nature herself but challenges himself with the task of turning wood into delicate art in motion.

Natures seemingly frivolous indulgence in the art of butterfly and hummingbird patterning actually derives from practical considerations of survival, mimicry and camouflage. Nature creates these works of beauty with little understood techniques of genetic and chemical processes during metamorphosis. These processes create the graceful lines and vivid patterns of color, which have intrigued mankind for thousands of years as well as serving to further those individual species. Thus the patterning of these winged creatures takes on a complexity of meaning. With this in mind, Chet patterns each of the individual pieces in The Butterfly and Hummingbird Collections after actual living species from the wild.

The woods used in these original works of art are from around the globe, as are the butterflies and hummingbirds from which they are patterned. No stains are used in this process, only the natural colors of the exotic woods, which vary from the deep blacks, reds and purples of African and South American woods to the bright yellows and warm browns of European, Asian and American woods.

Delicate techniques of wood inlay and marquetry are used to create these creatures that float freely in the air currents and light above their fine cherry wood bases. Capturing the freedom and fragility of these living treasures of beauty and grace is Chet's aspiration.

A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Chet Noll spent many an hour with his father in the woodworking shop starting at the tender young age of four and still has to this day the 12" saw horse his father made him. At age six he began studying piano and in 7th grade his project of choice for shop class was building a violin. His first butterfly was a Christmas gift for his mother when he was 12. During high school he earned extra money giving welding classes and was commissioned by several organizations to do special woodworking projects. At Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington he received a B.A. in music with special emphasis both in Keyboard Performance and Baroque Instrument Building. From the University of Montana he received a Master's degree in Music History and Literature. While living in Montana, he turned his artistic interests towards the building of period instruments, namely fortepianos and harpsichords, several of which are currently in use throughout California, Washington and Montana. He also began music composition; the study of art history and philosophy, gave composition recitals and exhibited his wood working in galleries in Montana and Washington. After moving to California Chet's one-of-a-kind creations were exhibited and sold in galleries and gift shops throughout the United States. One shop owner in Chicago said, "Chet Noll's woodworking is some of the finest examples of American woodworking to be found." Currently Chet resides in Wrightwood, California where he teaches piano lessons, provides piano tuning and computer consulting for the local residents, sings in two local choral groups, builds butterflies, hummingbirds and harpsichords and to support his creative endeavors writes computer software for the healthcare industry.