Thread: First Carving

And, does it smell better carving wood that sculpting in other stuff?
Does it take less or more time that other mediums you use?

Would you use wood again or are you going back?

I like it by the way.

Peter

Very interesting carving.

And welcome to the forum.

Thanks Peter.

For better or worse, there is no smell from this wood. I keep a block of cedar near by for such olfactory pangs.

One of the reasons I decided to carve was due to some resin casting work that I'd done previously where there is no trace of time - despite it being a very laborious process. The effort required didn't tend to translate to the finished work. And as process goes - I really don't like it.

I figured if I was going to be doing large hours I may as well try carving - couldn't be that hard could it?

I won't say it was a walk in the park but I really enjoyed the process. I spent a lot of time asking myself ???? But it was only my eyes not staying open that I packed up each night.

So yeah, I fully intend to 'gouge away'. Feels like I've come home in a way.

Just wish Brienz was a bit closer.

you're going to be fun to have on this forum. that'sa nice piece!

Hi Raav,

As with most of this 'large' stuff, I'm in awe. Was wondering about your theme. Was there a reason to mix the mythical (satyr) with the modern/mundane (bomber jacket and directional mike and recorder)?

What became of the work? Is it still there on the beach?

Love it raav and congrats on having it shown at Sculpture by the sea..
it's funny how the missing bits can add to the piece..
welcome ...and remember carving only gets better after using pauwlonia..
reminds me a bit of German sculptor Gerhard Demetz work, he does a lot of figurative carving with sections missing ..

The glue-up must have been a chore. But, I need to do the same so I'd like a little more info.
I confess I like the views from the back with all the missing blocks. There's no reason for it to be complete.

How tall does he stand?
Any particular choices for finish?
Will this piece be expected to stand outdoors to the weather?

really beautifull piece of work, thinking outside the box i like that
grt andy

A satyr recording the sound of the sea....how cool. Was the Perth exhibition a competition? I entered the Sculpture by the Sea at Port Macquarie and it was won by a piece that had nothing with the theme....it's all subjective, isn't it. Nice finish you have achieved.

Originally Posted by David Pride

...it's all subjective, isn't it. .

Ah yes indeedy...woodwork in particular is still treated with some suspicion in the 'arts'..
all the more reason to congratulate raav's inclusion into such a prestigious exhibition

Not bad for a beginner.

Thanks for the kind words everyone - really appreciated!

Whittling
I was playing with a few ideas here. I'd been looking at differing notions of time and how the western philosophical view tends to suggest we are anticipating the future or remembering the past (ie. ignoring the present), while the eastern view point suggest the 'now' is all there is. Or everything is contained in the present moment.

So I was taking something unlikely such as a mythological creature and locating him in the here and now and changed his vocation from pipe player to field recordist. Basically I wanted to suggest the present moment as a remix.

I chose a Satyr as Pan in latin means all or everything. The gaps suggest emptiness or nothing which is my broader conceptual focus - or that interplay between fullness and emptiness.

He's back home now, providing accommodation solutions for a range of spiders.

Underfoot
Gracias!
I don't know what stings the most. The fact that for a short time I thought I'd had an original idea, or the fact that Demetz carves like a demon. Wow.

I was wondering if anyone had used this wood before. It was a bit problematic in some situations, but I'd use it again. Don't think I have much choice over here. Like to try lime but that seems to be rarer than rocking horse dung.

Robson
Yes, the glue up was a chore. What sort of info do you need?
He's 6'1'' tall...lifesize if you will. The choice of finish is a problem and I still haven't found the answer. I used a clear polyurethane on this which gave the wood a golden hue and some comparisons to CP3O. In the afternoon sun he tended to look leathery. Yeck!
It also lifted the fibre to negate 2 days worth of sanding. That hurt.
The wood is used in boat building and for surfboards. Linseed oil apparently all it takes to keep surfboards safe from harm.

David
Perth has one prize of 15k. It is similar to the Bondi show I think. There is no theme which is to be applauded, but big metal things do make up a large portion of entrants. As for judges....

Thanks. I'd like to know which brand/type of adhesive you used in the glue-up.

When the finish lifts the fiber, just wait. Let it go hard/set up, whatever it does.
Next comes a rub with _coarse_ steel wool. The way it was explained to me,
the steel wool actually cuts the "wicky bits", rather than shredding the surface.
Plus of course, it follows contours and doesn't seem to mar the finish.

Originally Posted by raav

I don't know what stings the most. The fact that for a short time I thought I'd had an original idea,


Yep..nothing new under the sun and all that...I thought I was trailblazing with some segmented figuration about 9 years ago....seems I was about 20 years too late

It also lifted the fibre to negate 2 days worth of sanding. That hurt.
...

The traditional method was to dampen the wood (to encourage the fibres to rise) just prior to the final sanding. ..I use a Feast Watson product..'proof seal'...that seems to do the job for me..