Gallery exhibit showcases blue pine furniture

Phillips Studio & Gallery is featuring a “Montana Blues” exhibit of furniture made with solid blue pine lumber by designer and craftsman Doug Hammerberg of Whispering Peaks Woodcrafts. Blue pine’s beauty has made it a favorite of Hammerberg to work with in furniture design and production.

Blue pine, or beetle-killed pine, occurs as pine beetles bore into the tree, carrying in their mouth a specific fungus. The wood does not lose its strength, nor continue to decay; instead it becomes shades of light blue, dark gray, chocolate and buckskin. Patterns can vary as well, from streaks to almost solid colors.

Hammerberg hand selects the pieces for his projects. His styles and designs are from his heart and years of experience in the forests, not from a book of plans or designs of others. Styles range from primitive and rustic to cabin decor. Some are left natural; others are finished with beeswax/mineral oil coatings.

As with all Hammerberg’s one-of-a-kind pieces, a percentage of its construction comes from repurposed wood. All the joinery is with hardwood dowels.

Montana Blues blue pine furniture exhibit will be featured during Phillips Studio’s “Saturday Afternoon at the Mall” event May 14 from 2 to 4 p.m. Hammerberg will have his new line of blue pine available and will be accepting commissions for special pieces.

Phillips Studio & Gallery is located inside the Kalispell Center Mall between JCPenney and the Red Lion Hotel. Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 406-309-2335.