Carving wood is a rewarding experience, the whole process can take several weeks to complete. It starts with finding the right piece for a specific subject or conversely finding the right subject for an exceptional piece of wood. On my many hiking adventures of the mountains and canyons of the Okanagan Valley I always return with a rootball, a twisted trunk or branch. Other times I find bonsai starters or just take photos of the images that abound everywhere. I look for dead standing Western Juniper trees up to 10m sometimes weighing in at 100 lbs +. This involves a 1/2 day hike up & down steep slopes , over rocky bluffs & thru gullies collecting 2 or 3 smaller trees or one big one. These locations (Fir Bonsai photo) are rocky outcroppings on the exposed slopes of the mountains of the Okanagan Valley and are getting more precarious every year (or else I`m getting older).
These magnificent creations are hundreds of years old, their growth stunted & contorted by their exposure to violent winds and heavy snow loads that help create the amazing contortions and shapes. These twists & curves dictate what & where the subject will be. Juniper survives for hundreds of years growing in very extreme conditions, temperature ranges from +40F to -40F, for weeks or months with little or no rain on steep, rocky canyon walls, little water(20-25cm/yr) and a lack of nutrients are the causes of the slow growth. It is also these extreme conditions that create the beautiful colors and grain unique to Juniper. For my carvings i use only dead standing trees whose energies are now in balance (slowly dried and cured over many years) Using live trees disrupts the natural energies of the wood. In wood of natural mortality, all processes of energy use are finished and in balance. Compare milled lumber to a naturally aged and shaped piece of seasoned Juniper. A naturally shaped and aged Juniper trunk is a work of art in itself. Carving a naturally shaped and aged Juniper trunk gives it a new life.
I try to envision what fits into the natural material , one large subject or a scene with many subjects, retaining as much of the original wood as possible. Nature itself creates the theme of the carving, I try to find the carving that nature has hidden. Often, if there is more than one subject I then create a totem. If there is only one subject, it should dominate with the natural wood as the frame.
I use both hand and power tools removing everything that isnt the subject. I try to connect the subjects (usually animals and faces) with curves , leaves , cones, designs & negative spaces. Then after many hours removing what does`nt belong, utilizing the elements of composition , my vision emerges (some carvings involve 100s of hours) . I then add details, smooth lines and refine images where they show themselves. I define the subject with large chisels, axes, saws, grinders , flex tools, sanders and files. It must meet the high standards of my wife and partner, Dianne. I further refine the details with smaller and finer grit tools, finer & finer sandpaper for many hours. Then comes the final and usually the most rewarding part - finishing , especially on juniper. Tung oil , Danish or Linseed oils bring out some amazing colors upon application , soon maturing to a rich & earthy color. Most carvings require few but regular re-oiling or waxing.
The end result, if successful, is a work of art worthy of a place in any home. I also use found pieces of Mastadon Ivory and Jade( both from Jack a northern BC gold miner friend) , driftwood & lumberyard 3”x 6” red & yellow cedar, cherry and walnut. Check out my Galleries .
Like people, the older a carving gets the more character it acquires. But unlike people, as it ages the carving requires very little maintenance. All that is needed is a yearly coating of wood oil or wax.
Another passion is Bonsai- The Living Art. Again Nature works & I play. With the final work of art pleasing & delighting both the eye and the soul.
Dianne, my wife & resident quality control agent , Dylan & Emma ( grandkids) are essential to most of my carvings. My other interests include, Photography, Golf & Hiking in the great B.C. outdoors.