I have found in approaching carving that is exactly what I needed to do. I made my first gesture sketch, with chalk on wood. I felt alive. I followed the lines, the curves, the edges, with my gauge. The great thing about carving is that the more you do it the more exhausted you physically become, but the more invigorated you feel. You feel alive, and even though you are a sweaty mess, and hours have gone by when you exit the woodshop, you feel awake and alert.
I started my carvings knowing I wanted to create shadow. I traced a shape with my chalk and then used a bansaw to cut that form out from the rest of the wood. I carved the whole surface with a big gauge. I wanted every inch to be touched and worked on.
I then worked my way to the smaller gauges.
I found a motion with a small gauge that I really enjoyed. I created these scratch marks to cover the surface, every side, of the wood piece.
These scratch marks were very reminiscent of the marks I had made on art in former years.
I am very excited to continue carving. Though I do not know how I will use these wooden pieces I know, in my gut, that they are very important to my current body of work.
(A Detail)
(A Detail)
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