sturt school for wood

In Winter this year I attended the Sturt Arts and Craft School in Mittagong for a week of organic form carving with Grant Vaughan. The design Grant had for us to reproduce was inspired by Monstera fruit and we carved it in white beech which he brought down from the north coast. I had an engrossing week in the highlands, with my  fingers almost worn to a nub with sanding to try and faithfully render the exquisite perfection of Grant's original piece. It was great to share this experience with other carvers from across NSW. I'm returning to Sturt for the Summer School for more bowl carving with Nick Statham.  

my bowl sanded and complete

om carving

I have started a new carving of an om symbol, this has been inspired by my yoga practice and time spent at the yoga ashram at mangrove mountain this year. The timber is basswood which I've not used before, it cuts like butter as they say, has no features to speak of, so is great for a carving that will be painted and the om gold leafed. Well that's the plan stan at this stage.........here's how it looks in process. It's lovely carving in the garden studio looking out at the garden, singing along to some kirtan beats..........   

carvin' away

I was given my first piece of wood to carve by my best mate Pam on turning 40, but waited another year before enrolling in a two day workshop at the Tom Bass Sculpture School with Maricha Oxley one vey hot January just under five years ago.............that was my beginnings in wood carving. As a former forester I have been loving getting re-acqainted with the various wood properties I learnt about at university in Canberra, but I think about them now in a creative and expressive way, not as I might have back then when I thought I'd be working in a production forestry setting.  

So this blog is about documenting my wood carving world...........the projects I am doing, what inspires me, the people who are helping me learn and other carving related bits and bobs.