About The Wood Lotus
Our Story
My name is Jitendra Bal 'JB' Sharma. I am a retired U.S. physics professor who is still engaged in academics part-time. I have always had a love of all things wooden; forests, trees, lumber and logs. Rustic furniture embodies the theme of 'nature as an artist'. The sinuous shapes of trees as they reach out to the skies for more sunlight have a branching fractal structure that encode energy and nutrition flows, compactness and the intentionality of mother nature. I have pursued rustic log table making as both an art and a craft form for over two decades.
Two Working Studios
My main studio is in Gainesville, Georgia where I have been a resident for almost 4 decades. I spend several months a year in Delhi, India and have a woodworking studio here as well. I love the abundance of wood types available in North America, particularly hickory, oak and hard pine. I also really enjoy working with the dense tropical hardwoods available in India, and in particular neem, which is dense and is resistant to pest infestation.
Nature as Art
At The Wood Lotus, we believe that art and craft is a fun and meditative activity. We hope that this website will inspire others who see nature as the ultimate artist and bring together like-minded rustic wood crafters from our community. The goal of this website is to share this rustic furniture work that combines both art and craft. A lot of this work has been done with wood that would otherwise would be firewood or waste. Join us for a fun and inspiring experience!