‘Off the Wall’ is a range of contemporary wooden wall art with a distinctly Scottish flavour. Designed and produced in the Cairngorms National Park, the inspiration for this unique product is drawn from the natural world that surrounds the artist in his Highland home in Tomintoul. That’s me by the way! My name is John Polak. 

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‘Off the Wall’ wasn’t born as such. It just gradually evolved from an idea. I have always been a lover of Art Nouveau and its younger child, Art Deco. In particular, I am a great admirer of the Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha. His flowing organic style undoubtedly drew its inspiration from nature. I wanted to achieve something similar, although not through the medium of paint or ink - but rather through the medium of one of nature’s own great inventions. Wood. 

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My experiments led me to push the boundaries of what could be achieved. First came the idea. Then the design. Then the painful part - turning those designs into a workable solution made from layers of wood. In this case, poplar wood. Sometimes that path wasn’t easy; but my amazing laser cutting machine helped me get there. A tiny beam of light that allowed me to produce the kind of detail no saw could ever hope to achieve. 

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I hope you like the results. There are Golden Eagles, Ospreys and Red Deer Stags. There are Highland Cows, Herons and Oystercatchers. And there is even a visit to an iconic Scottish scene at Glenfinnan, made famous by Harry Potter himself! 

Please take a look. And make sure you come back often. There is so much inspiration to draw upon around here, there is always something new waiting to take its place on the drawing board! 

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Thank you for visiting. 

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John Polak. 

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