Exotic woods are award-winning artist's medium

By Roni Gehlke
Contra Costa Times

In our "Neighbors" series, we give you a personal look at the people in your community. If you would like to nominate someone for this column, contact Judy Prieve at 925-779-7178 or email jprieve@bayareanewsgroup.com.

With zebra, Bolivian, cocobolo and so many other varieties of exotic woods to choose from, woodworking artist Victor Habib has no shortage of ideas for future projects for his favorite hobby. His eclectic creations have been featured in local galleries and businesses throughout the area, and one of his pieces just won first prize at the Discovery Art League's Annual Show at the Weber Gallery in Brentwood.
"You won't find any of the wood I use at Lowe's and Home Depot," Habib said.
In fact, there are times when Habib will take a trip to Berkeley or one of the other exotic wood suppliers he uses and not find a single piece that suits his needs.
For most of his life Habib has enjoyed woodworking. According to his wife, Toni, he has made 800 birdhouses and sold every one. His art, however, stretches much further than the simple birdhouse. The style that won him the award at the Discovery Art League competition is based on a series of musical instruments that Habib has produced.
"The contra bass combines two instruments," Habib said describing the piece. "The neck of the bass is wavy and there is also a piano attached."
Habib describes himself as a "green artist" and said that the woodwork in his pieces is intricately cut to use the various exotic woods' natural beauty. In one design of a guitar he made 67 cuts in the neck alone, numbered each piece and offset the wood putting each piece back giving a linier-line affect.
Habib is a self-taught artist who has worked with wood all his life as a hobby. He built his first clubhouse when he was 6, later he built everything from entertainment centers to cabinetry. He also worked on building trophy cases for local high schools.
"I started getting tired of that kind of work and went looking for something different," he said.
One of his unique creations turned out to be a 3-D city, which included 15 buildings and ended up being 4-by-6 feet. The whole project took 250 hours to complete.
The style he chooses to work with allows him the chance to place his creations on a wood canvas, or to frame it, keep it unframed or even keep it free-standing. One of his first creations in this style was a set of piano keys that seem to come out of a wall.
Habib has several pieces on display at the Weber Galley in Brentwood at the Discovery Art League's annual exhibit. Those pieces will be on display until the end of the month. He also has work on display at the Fridley Art Gallery in Brentwood and a couple of pieces on the walls at the CoCo County Wine Co., also in Brentwood.