Lord of the Leaves

Easter carving

I haven't done a free standing carving for some time. This is however one such carving.

The wood is a piece salvaged from a forest walk and I think its a piece of Beech.

The picture below shows it uncarved.

Standing 38cm tall and 7.5cm diameter at the face.

The next picture shows the carving in my hand. It gives it a scale that measurement does not.

I wanted to do a woodwose carving mixed with leaves and I'm pleased with overall look of the carving. The woodwose has a somewhat sleepy thoughtful look.

The leaves are coloured with green ink and then rubbed back to soften the colour. This gives a sense of more depth as well as making the leaves more lifelike.

The woodwose has a hood rather than showing hair, again something I don't carve often; this allowed me to add leaves at the top of the carving.

Again I don't add colour often, the green was added as an afterthought as the wood colour didn't reveal the shape of the leaves when oiled. the green was added and to be fair I'm pleased with the look.

Over the carving there are runes carved each from the Elder Futhark alphabet.

Finished with ink and Danish Oil so will stand happily both indoors or out. I will be burning a design into the top before too long as this area looks bare and inviting.

Overall this may be a 'Keeper'! watch the Folksy shop to see.

Quercus Ilex (Holm Oak)

On a recent trip to Westbury Court Garden in Gloucestershire.

Its a 16th Century Dutch Water Garden and apparently the only one of its kind in the UK and Holland.... Who knew!

Lived in Gloucestershire for years, drove passed it hundreds of times and had, before this trip, never set foot inside.

The most wonderful tree lives in this garden. the Holm Oak, an evergreen Oak tree.

Its over 400 years old and so beautiful I couldn't resist doing a post on it.

The boys (James and Alex) stood in front so that I could demonstrate just how big and imposing this tree is.

The pictures below give a wider view of the tree. The one on the right shows how the boughs of the tree are pulling themselves down. The National Trust have 'wired' some of the main boughs together so that they don't literally snap off. I guess old trees get artificial help in their dotage to keep them alive longer.

As you can see with 'littlie' in front the trunk is immense and covered in aged and knarly bumps. It just oozes age and venerability. It seemed literately to be alive as I walked around and touched it! Amongst the bumps and lumps the tree had holes that burrowed deep into its heart, some large enough to take a domestic cat. How deep they go? what lies within?

This tree I don't wonder has a whole civilisation of its own, living and surviving in partnership with the tree, bugs, birds and mammals. High in the canopy there was a massive nest, which may be a rookery.

The pictures below don't show the tree off as well as standing in front of it. It looks like something from Lord of The Rings ~ 'Treebeards Grandfather'!

Old signs of tree surgery are present and how the tree is growing around these old surgical scars; scar tissue.

Growths are massive; as a cabinet maker a small part of me wants to cut a slice and see what the wood pattern looks like..... a small part! this part of a tree can produce the most wonderful burrs.

Sphearoblast city: This beautiful specimen has countless sphearoblasts. However this is a National Trust property and this old fella deserves to be left in peace.

I can only dream of how magical the sphearoblasts are to carve and own!! but responsible approaches to harvesting prevents me from taking even one. I do not condone anyone taking from any Trust property or other ornamental gardens; and in fact

I don't tend to take from ancient trees, some sense of not annoying a venerable tree or Woodwose.

Thought I would show the leaves as they are remarkably different from a standard oak. As said this is an evergreen variety.

As said previously this tree is its own eco system. one of the lifeforms hosted by the tree are some beautiful fungi, see below. They are wonderful and very hard to touch; they resemble some forms of sea life like corals.

Lying on the floor at the base of the tree was this lovely old headstone that was obviously for a much loved pet. I guess no one knows where this fella is buried but I thought it fitting that his headstone lay next to a tree he may have 'cocked his leg on'!

I hope you enjoy the tree and this meagre post to try to show him in his beauty. If you get the chance go and visit him yourself. I will be back and may drop a small carving down a deep hole.

Comments are more than welcome.

Regards Dave

The Third Woodwose

Those of you who remember the carving 'Dogs Friend' may see a resemblance in this carving. He is however the third carving from one branch harvested from Kinighton in Powys earlier this year.

There are some beautiful colours in the wood, this is from the wood starting to rot at the tip. the bark and sapwood have withdrawn following damage that would have been sustained on the tree.

The white wood is the sap wood and as it darkens the heartwood is revealed, the very dark wood is heartwood that has died and is beginning to rot.

The wood itself has some lovely shapes and colours and looks great hanging on the wall.

finished in Danish Oil.

The beard is deliberately carved into the dark wood (all but a patch) and runs down the carving blending into the open grain further down (see below)

The picture below shows a tape measure to gauge the with of the carving, the length is approximately 16"

The three together. one branch three carvings

Comments as always are welcome

regards

~Dave~

Green Man of Mercia

This is an off cut from the Offa's Spirit carving recently posted. The reference to Mercia is in the area the wood was harvested and a direct link to the Offa reference. Offa was the King of Mercia. Green Man symbolism would have been very prevalent in Offa's time.

I wanted to create a Green Man wall hanging piece and here it is.

The Green Man is thought to be a Pagan symbolism depicting fertility or natures spirit, however many Green Man carvings are found in churches apparently taken on by Christianity, as with many symbols of pre Christian faiths, to help swing the population towards the new faith.

One Celtic god Viridios has a name meaning "Green Man" in both the Celtic languages and Latin possibly being the origins of the "Green Man"

The features are picked out with a mid Oak Danish Oil which adds shading highlights.

The leaves take longer to carve than the hair on a Woodwose and give the carving a very different look.

The picture below shows you what it looks like hanging on the wall.

The overall length of the piece is 12 1/2" and

the diameter at the carving is 1 1/2"

The face is 3" top to bottom of the leaves carved and 1 1/4" wide

There are some beautiful shapes, lumps and bumps that in themselves are worth admiring;

I hope the carving does them credit.

Your comments as always are welcome.

Regards

Dave

Offa's Spirit

This guy is carved from a piece of wood salvaged from Knighton in Powys while on holiday recently. Outside of the cottage we stayed in some kind tree surgeons cut down some trees and left some wonderful pieces for a carver like me.

For the uninitiated Knighton is situated on the Powys and Shropshire border. Offa's Dyke runs through Knighton and is home to the Offa's Dyke Centre.

Its a large wall hanging piece that offers an imposing presence to any room.

He stands 16" tall and 10" across the span of the forks. The carving itself is 7 1/2" including hair and the face spans the thickness of the trunk at 2 1/2" wide

He is carved from green wood and wont be completely dry for a while yet. Ive left him unfinished to aid the drying out process. Perversely I hope splits and shakes embellish this carving as it dries

The pyrography links this piece to Celtic times through the symbolism here

The image is of two Hawks demonstrating freedom and success

I love the detail that emerged from this carving, the stain highlighting the hair and features. I use a light oak Danish oil to finish

The face is strong and noble

A sturdy wire is attached to hang the carving from

This image in the picture above, again pyrography, is a favourite of mine and links to heraldic imagery.

The photo below shows the piece from the back

One of three carvings done so far. more to come soon.

Your comments as always are welcome

Regards Dave