RufflyRustic
25th February 2007, 07:38 PM
We've had a few posts on Wood Whispering this week, so I'd thought I'd start the first of a semi-regular column by explaining what Wood Whispering truly means to me.
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About three to four years ago, just before I went to my first Maleny Woodwork show, I remember reading an article about a gentleman woodworker. The gist of something he said was “…that if you can’t feel what the wood wants to be…”. Unfortunately I can’t remember the rest, but I have never forgotten that what he said made me feel normal and gave me the OK to commune with the wood and let it commune with me.
So here I am, a female woodworking artist who is not afraid to talk with her timber stash. As I have since found out, I am not the only one.http://www.ubeaut.biz/ms.gif You can’t believe how relieved I was to find that others have this similar ability as well. I say ‘similar’ because I believe the experience and realisation is different for each fellow Wood Whisperer.
The wood whispers for some, for others it shouts and for others still, it simply cowers in fear and awe.
WildDingo asked, “..how to get them [the wood] to stop [whispering]? (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=45610)...” I think the question is not ‘how to get them to stop’ but ‘how to get them to work with you’.
Let's see, each timber has different characteristics and voices.
Camphor Laurel can have extreme grain and colours and as such can be extremely loud, augmentative and mouthy.
Yellow Cedar is a true gentleman, beautiful to work with, no splintering or any other sort of nasty carry-on. He's very polite and shines with joy at whatever he becomes.
Silky oak is an age-ed timber and behaves accordingly with its grain something akin to age spots, the older the timber, the bigger the grain spots. The older it gets, the more its true character shows in every way, quirks, faults and niceties, but even for all this, it is a strong and true timber.
Sometimes, the 'wood whispering' takes place over a cup of coffee. I drink the coffee and stare the timber down. When it's suitably cowed [?], then I start work. Sometimes the discussion is long, endless and very tedious with frequent repetitions. Sometimes I get yelled at and sometimes I yell back. There have been many times, when the wood will hide and others, where it will practically fall out of the heap and land at my feet in the rush to be used and transformed into something else.
Every now and then, the world is still and I can hold that piece of timber and simply feel what it could be, what it should be. The picture starts appearing in my head. I may simply see the end result, or only each part as it builds up until the end result appears in my hands, finished and complete.
And that is when I know that I've listened to the wood, interpreted it's mumblings and together, we have made something good.:)
Cheers
RufflyRustic (Wendy)
Head Moderator - Woodworking Women
Super Moderator
Woodworking Australia's
WOODWORK FORUMS
_____________________________________________
About three to four years ago, just before I went to my first Maleny Woodwork show, I remember reading an article about a gentleman woodworker. The gist of something he said was “…that if you can’t feel what the wood wants to be…”. Unfortunately I can’t remember the rest, but I have never forgotten that what he said made me feel normal and gave me the OK to commune with the wood and let it commune with me.
So here I am, a female woodworking artist who is not afraid to talk with her timber stash. As I have since found out, I am not the only one.http://www.ubeaut.biz/ms.gif You can’t believe how relieved I was to find that others have this similar ability as well. I say ‘similar’ because I believe the experience and realisation is different for each fellow Wood Whisperer.
The wood whispers for some, for others it shouts and for others still, it simply cowers in fear and awe.
WildDingo asked, “..how to get them [the wood] to stop [whispering]? (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=45610)...” I think the question is not ‘how to get them to stop’ but ‘how to get them to work with you’.
Let's see, each timber has different characteristics and voices.
Camphor Laurel can have extreme grain and colours and as such can be extremely loud, augmentative and mouthy.
Yellow Cedar is a true gentleman, beautiful to work with, no splintering or any other sort of nasty carry-on. He's very polite and shines with joy at whatever he becomes.
Silky oak is an age-ed timber and behaves accordingly with its grain something akin to age spots, the older the timber, the bigger the grain spots. The older it gets, the more its true character shows in every way, quirks, faults and niceties, but even for all this, it is a strong and true timber.
Sometimes, the 'wood whispering' takes place over a cup of coffee. I drink the coffee and stare the timber down. When it's suitably cowed [?], then I start work. Sometimes the discussion is long, endless and very tedious with frequent repetitions. Sometimes I get yelled at and sometimes I yell back. There have been many times, when the wood will hide and others, where it will practically fall out of the heap and land at my feet in the rush to be used and transformed into something else.
Every now and then, the world is still and I can hold that piece of timber and simply feel what it could be, what it should be. The picture starts appearing in my head. I may simply see the end result, or only each part as it builds up until the end result appears in my hands, finished and complete.
And that is when I know that I've listened to the wood, interpreted it's mumblings and together, we have made something good.:)
Cheers
RufflyRustic (Wendy)
Head Moderator - Woodworking Women
Super Moderator
Woodworking Australia's
WOODWORK FORUMS