Year of the Eagle ;)

Spring is my season for carving tree stumps and this year the majority of these jobs   are eagle carvings.  This one was finished this morning.  The stump is of a maple tree planted by my customer!  Location is in the back yard of a private residence in Richland, WA.

Browse photos of other stump carvings at WoodHacker.com

Eagle Plaques

Those 'scraps' from the end of bench backs or relief carvings can be used for smaller wall hanging carvings.  The first of these is about 4' tall and customized for the customer.  The second, only 2' tall.  Each is 2" thick sycamore.

Eagle Plaque

Adding one more Eagle.  This slightly stylized eagle is a deep relief carved in 4" thick black walnut.  Length is approximately 55".

Eagles!

Eagle with salmon in Oak.

The chainsaw carving business is best described as "carve a bear, carve an eagle, carve a bear, carve a fish, carve a bear, carve an owl, carve a bear, ad nauseum."  Bears are the bread and butter of chainsaw carving but {fortunately} eagles are also popular.  :)  Whether it patriotism or nature lovers, a majestic "wings up" eagle will always sell quickly and other poses will sell eventually. The more unforgiving or tough your eagle appears, the sooner he will find a new home.

Eagle with ribbon in Sycamore.

One of the coolest things about carving eagles is their distinctive head/beak profile.  Because of this profile, the eagle head is easily recognized even when carved quite small.  So it's not just for chainsaw pieces!  The eagle head is a salable whether it be four times life-size or engraved on a piece of bone to be used as jewelry.  Carve them in bark, wood, bone or stone and you'll never regret the experience.

Double soaring eagle in Sycamore.

I find the most difficult thing about carving eagles is to capture that 'ferocity' we associate with a flying predator.  Even in photos of eagles feeding their chicks, they look like something to be given plenty of space.

How is 'ferocity' captured in a carving?  I wish I knew :(  I believe it comes from setting the eye back under the  brow and sloping the head toward the beak.  Executing it tends to be 'hit and miss' in my case.  However, my mildly stylized eagles tend to have more of that ferocious attitude than do my attempts at realism.

Eagle head in Cottonwood Bark.

If you are working on improving your eagle carving skills, I recommend practicing in a softer medium.  Cottonwood bark or even soap, clay, wax, etc allow us to carve quickly which allows more time for self-critique, analyzing shortcomings, and moving on to the next eagle...

Carving the heron...

These long necked birds, whether they be herons, cranes or egrets, are a sure sell for the professional wood carver.  Not necessarily a fast sell but they will always find a new home....

This one is carved from the upper portion of a blue spruce tree.  It's actually a 'practice heron' for the one to be carved from it's parent stump.  This stump is on 4th Ave (near Morain) in Kennewick, WA and I will start carving it on Monday, 5 August 2013.

You're welcome to drive past and honk but the location is private property [so I cannot invite you] and there is no parking on the street.

The finished sculpture on 4th Ave is expected to be about 6 feet tall.

Happy Independence Day!

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Independence Day weekend!

Exotic Wood

This month I had my first encounter with exotic wood.  I've 'seen' exotic woods before but this is the first time I've turned it into chips, dust, and art.  There was much to learn...

The Wood
I was asked to carve a piece of Purpleheart.  "OK.  I can do that."  After a brief moment of 'sellers remorse', I Googled purpleheart wood.  Google showed me lots of pretty photos of deeply colored purple boards, boxes and furniture.  It was exciting!  But before making the worlds first purple salmon, I searched Google a second time.  This time for 'purpleheart toxicity'.

The Danger
Everyone knows it's not good for you to breath dust.  Fewer people know that some wood dust can be poisonous and even cause an allergic reaction.  As for purpleheart wood, the most common reactions include eye and skin irritation. It's has also been reported to cause nausea!  I HATE nausea!!  To make matters worse, I learned that even the fumes are toxic so there will be no color added with my torch.


The Process
Sufficiently warned, I prepared to carve.  In addition to the regular task of laying out the design, I put my safety plan to practice.  Gloves, safety glasses, respirator (not a dust mask), and a fan pushing air (fumes) across my work area.  Naturally all of this is happening out of doors.

The Result
This is one very hard wood!  It chips and splinters like Red Cedar or Douglas Fir but is as hard as dried out Oak.  To get a nice finish in something so hard requires sanding.  Sanding generates poison dust.  I'm not getting paid enough! ;-)