CREATIVITY AT REST: Landscape artist and ideas man Peter Soderman (left) and wood and metal artist Greg Napolitan take time out to enjoy Princeton’s first Parklet in front of Small World Coffee on Witherspoon Street. Mr. Napolitan carved the two huge wooden benches in the parklet after being contacted by Mr. Soderman to participate in the tiny park that takes up two parking spots in front of the coffee shop. The project was a the result of a joint effort by the municipality, the Arts Council of Princeton, and several members of Princeton’s creative community. (Photo by L. Arntzenius)

Visitors to Princeton’s first “Parklet” located across two parking spots in front of Small World Coffee on Witherspoon Street are not only delighted by the concept and design of the space. They are intrigued by the hand behind two enormous wood benches, each of which has been carved from a single block of wood. 

The benches, a delight to look at and to sit upon, are the work of classically-trained fine artist Greg Napolitan.

Although Mr. Napolitan studied illustration at Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts) and the New England College of Fine Arts, these days he’s more likely to be found wielding a chain saw than the pen of an illustrator.

He works almost exclusively with chain saws of varying sizes and will also use chisels and sanding tools. It was a gift of chisels for Christmas when he was a kid that led him into his line of work in wood and in metal. His pieces are generally large in scale, and combine a deep love of nature with an attempt to push the limits of his own imagination. Each piece is one of a kind.

The artist was invited to participate in the Parklet project by Princeton’s Peter Soderman, a member of the original design team. “The actual structure was built by George Akers and designed by Kirsten Thoft,” said Maria Evans, artistic director of the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP).

According to Ms. Evans, it was an initiative by Mayor Liz Lempert that led to the Parklet. Ms. Lempert contacted Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) Director Jeff Nathanson and together the ACP and the municipality took on the project. Ms Evans contacted Jessica Dhurrie of Small World on Witherspoon Street, which had taken part in “National Takeover a Parking Space Day” last fall and then Ms. Dhurrie’s builder husband George Akers and artist Mr. Soderman got involved.

Mr. Soderman is well known around town for his work on past urban renewal projects such as Herban Garden, Writers Block, Quark Park, and Eno Terra.

Local architect Kristen Thoft did the drawings and the municipal Department of Public Works built the street platform on which the Parklet was constructed by Mr. Akers and the Revival Construction Company at the Harrison Street Firehouse, over the course of a single weekend.

The benches were carved from two pieces of Elm wood, said Mr. Napolitan, who had a short lead time to produce the work from two enormous logs provided by local landscaper David Wells.

While he often works out of his Frenchtown studio on Route 12 in rural Hunterdon County, the artist traveled to Princeton for this project.

“Peter Soderman found me online and contacted me. The challenge was not just to produce something that looked gorgeous, it had to be comfortable for people to sit on,” said Mr. Napolitan. So far one of his two benches has been sold, snapped up at $3,000.

“I let the tree do the talking,” said the artist. Besides contemporary abstracts, he creates functional pieces stamped with his individual artistic flair — chairs shaped like eagles and carved vines and leaves to adorn fireplace mantels. Among his more whimsical pieces are those inspired by myth, fantasy, and legend such as centaurs and gnomes and The Jersey Devil.

He’s carving a bear for one client for whom he earlier did a Sasquatch. Besides numerous pieces, generally commissions, he’s currently working on a likeness of Charles Darwin for a Princeton client.

His work has been on display at Riverfest arts and music festival. He often receives commissions through tree surgeons such as Tamke Tree Service of Liberty Corner, and he’ll visit a client’s property to get to know their likes and dislikes. He charges $1,000 per day. The largest of his commissions took 18 days to complete. It was a complex and challenging piece of artwork depicting a phoenix with a fox, a hawk, and a squirrel, completed for a doctor client.

The idea for one large piece that Napolitan created a couple years ago came from his father. Four-of-a-Kind is a fresco about 9 feet high and 11 feet wide depicting a pair of hands holding four playing cards, all Jacks. He’s priced it at $18,000, based on how long it took him to create. He tried to sell it to Donald Trump’s casino but their budget was already used up and they didn’t buy. “It’s in my barn collecting dust,” he laughed.

The one wood he won’t work with is Poplar, to which he has an allergic reaction. “It’s nice to carve but it gets wet, dries quickly and then is inclined to split.” Black Walnut is his favorite. The Princeton benches are Elm, which Mr. Napolitan weatherproofed using polyurethane with an extra ingredient to improve durability.

“There’s been a lot of bottoms on these benches,” said Mr. Napolitan. “They are pitched for comfort and have drains so that rainwater doesn’t collect.

Mr. Napolitan welcomes visitors to his studio and is happy to discuss ideas for particular pieces of artwork and to answer questions. For more information, contact the artist at gregnapolitan@yahoo.com or by phone at: (908) 528-4271, or visit: visit: studioon12.com.