The artstream is now flowing in this direction. The wood mask below, 22"x 21", is an iconic image of the moon. It was hanging on the wall in my house where I was able to observe and appreciate it's subtle qualities. Usually my artwork is private commission and does not hang on my wall for very long. After a time it came to me that this piece would be the ideal model for a bronze artwork. I had been searching for the right branch of the stream for inspiration. Not sure when it came to me but at last I had a creative direction to move towards. I took the wooden model to the bronze foundry and used the wax to make the halo. The halo depicts the herring spawning when the moon is full. I am in the process of making several different halos for the moon mask.
This moon mask is made of local Alder wood. Carved when green and seasoned properly before finishing. Alder is a great local wood resource for carving a wood project such as this.The wood must be carved to a roughed out stage when it is green and fresh. It can then be left to slowly dry in order to prevent cracking. This process takes from several months to years if cared for using the proper conditions. I have kept alder wood carvings for years in this roughed out stage awaiting the finishing process.
It is great to see this kind of work being done locally. The level of quality and James's sensitivity to the subject matter reveals a level of spirituality rarely captured in sculpture of any sort. I was astounded that he was willing to share this experience with me personally. I was only visiting his workshop to see where the magic happened and found myself being invited to participate in the process myself, firsthand. It is true that I have a background in bronze sculpture but had not created anything using the subtractive process. This was completely new to me. James provided his space and tools and even a piece of wood for us to work on. Through his attentiveness and excellent instruction I was able to create a moon mask of my own. There is nothing that can compare to the feel of and extremely sharp carving tool paring away slivers of wood. They pealed back from the main piece giving an iridescent quality of fine feathers and the smell of the green alder has a green nutty sweetness to it. The patterns the gouges leave behind may only be appreciated by touch. The finely patterned surface feels like silk without need of any sanding what so ever. This process is a feast for the senses including the sense of hearing. Because you are working with hand tools there is no harsh electric motor noise grinding into the center of your brain. Perhaps this is what James must be tuning his senses to? It must bring out a form of meditation that produces such seemingly spiritually inspired forms. Visual, tactile, olfactory and hearing senses all tuned into a fine instrument of serenity revealing itself carved into the surface of the wood. My patterns were a confused gathering of patchy swirls while his were laid into a perfectly laid set of organized rows all with the optimum width and depth subtly cut to serve as guide for the eye to interpret the underlying form. This sort of mastery can only be had through thousands of hours of carving and my piece would require hours of sanding to remove my folly and render only the basic form underlying the carving. Thus, my 'carving' was erased from the surface and is sterile. If you take the time to read his carved surface you may find yourself carefully navigating the plains coming together in various definitions. These plains are laid out as beautifully as an ancient manuscript drafted by medieval monks on sheepskin and for me they felt as sacred. HOW DOES HE DO THAT! I kept asking myself as I worked. I did not complete the work in his space so he has never seen my finished mask. What he did see reminded him of a very European example of a face instead of the NW Native art which inspired it. My passion for classical sculpture found its way into my work. Clearly, his acute foundation in NW art is strong and displays itself in all of his work. Well done James! I can't wait to see what you create next.
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