As the light shifts through the wood, the bubbling surface is hidden and revealed. Brent Comber is masterful at using natural materials to create refined artwork and furnishings to grace homes and public buildings. His Alder Kiss Table is one of his finest achievements, bringing together clusters of raw alder branches in the form of a striking table that can stand alone as a side table or pedestal or, with the addition of a glass top, become a stunning dining table. The materials themselves are simple, but you'll never think "rustic" when you look at the Alder Kiss table. He's gathered the branches together into a square column that highlights the juxtaposition of opposites in a variety of ways. Along the top surface, you see the various diameters of the branches and the empty spaces in between and notice the striking simplicity of so many rounds ultimately arranged in a square. Light and dark also contrasts sharply, with every shade of alder represented. Comber has playfully cut into the sides of the column at each edge, creating sloped corners that give the illusion of two separate halves balancing on top of each other, poised for a 'kiss' where they meet. Where the sides have been peeled away, the hearts of the alder saplings seem to reflect themselves. It's a beautiful illusion that adds complexity to the whole. Adding to the beauty of Comber's work is the source. He uses only Alder collected from areas where the Alder was being cut due to development or firebreaks and composts all wood shavings from his sculptures to return it to the earth.