: When I started building kayaks I had the same grand, complex
: stripping schemes you seem to like. They were beautiful but, in
: hindsight, overly complex. About 4 years ago I was asked to
: build my first Black Pearl by the fantastic Swedish designer
: Bjorn Thommason. I got to know him pretty well and he introduced
: me to concepts of European deisgn, especially Scandinavian, when
: I was working on the intricate pattern for the Nereida Njord
: project. The basic concept is to think more minimalistic. Let
: the overall shape and features stand out. Like he said, the
: first concepts I had were very busy. It was like trying to put
: together an orchestra of soloists. The different design features
: were competing with each other for prominence.

: In the end I decided to go with a simpler overall pattern. From a
: distance the larger sections compliment and follow the lines of
: the boat. As you get closer you see the grain of the mahogany
: and curly maple, separated by the thin lines of walnut and
: cherry. The accent strips define the areas, not compete with
: them.

: Like Bjorn said, "sometimes less is more..."

: Something just to keep in mind, especially for a first project.

: Best wishes,

: Dan

: PS: I've noticed this in Nick's boats as well. Compare his early
: Expedition Single to his more recent Nymph canoe, the Micro
: Bootlegger, Mystery and his stained Petrel. He's really refined
: the "less is more" motto. Very classy.

I went with the natural lines of the kayak (Redfish King). The woods are peruvian walnut and yellow cedar. The hull is a yingyang of the deck with the peruvian walnut in the football. Just another idea.