Thread: Bighorn Ram Carving

Jack Burgess carving the head of a Bighorn Sheep Ram. This sculpture was carved over a period of 12 weeks. Drawings were made full scale from both the top and side views. 12 individual pre cut blocks of Basswood, each 4" thick by 8" wide and about 22" long were joined into larger sections. The weight of the material required sandbagging the carving stand and some precaution when making adjustments on the carving swivel. In addition a custom mounting plate was made to attach the mass of wood to the swivel. The carving of the snout and lower cranium were shaped first, with sections of Basswood added once certain areas of the carving were nearly complete. This procedure addressed two concerns. By utilizing blocks of Kiln dried wood, strong glue bonds were assured, and the stress within the cell structure of the material was minimized, reducing the chance of wood movement with resulting cracks. Secondly, it reduced the sheer mass and weight issues considerably, allowing access to areas that would have been difficult to address with chisels regardless of shape or length of shaft.