I started carving vases a few years ago as a means of getting some more color into my display at shows and exhibitions. Fresh flowers bring a lot to the party and are a fabulous compliment to my natural forms. It was a perfect solution to carve vases to serve this display need and an equally great solution to find a use for some of the beautiful wood cut-offs that were really too beautiful to throw away. Since then I have begun to use the process of creating these small pieces of sculpture as a warm-up exercise for my larger pieces. Much like sketching this is a means of exploring line and form while getting my head in the place it needs to be for carving my larger scale work. So here's a peek at some things from my latest sketch book. 

And now that I'm in the groove it's time to move on to the big dogs.

Here's a photo journal of some steps involved in the creation of a wooden vessel. I will use few words and many pictures.
The first step is acquiring a log from a locally fallen tree. In this instance it's a Boxelder log that I located at the Fergus Falls' landfill's wood pile (more on that later).

Rip the log down the middle.

Trim the edges.

Begin carving the vessel's containment area.

Top side/containment area complete.

Remove excess mass from underside and mark feet locations.

Carving completed.

_Fast forward through drying; final sanding and shaping; dying of the underside; applying oil; waxing;and...Ta Da, finished piece!

All done. I got the steel backs finished and applied a great patina. The patina is relatively unpredictable so it's a great thing when it comes out as nice as this did. The set is waxed, wrapped and packed. Tuesday morning they're off to Florida with me.

I've been wanting to carve another "Cottonwood Movements" triptych since I joyfully parted with my last set in Memphis last October. Cottonwood is one of my favorite woods to carve for several reasons: it is native to my region, it grows quite large, and it has terrific color and grain characteristics. I usually have easy access to cottonwood but this year it's been pretty tough for me to come by. So, it was great news when I heard from my friend Doc Bob that he had the remnants of a cottonwood that fell last summer for me to inspect. On a cold and breezy day a couple of weeks ago I loaded my saw and headed for rural Battle Lake. After a meandering tour of his farm we eventually arrived at the object of my interest. It really wasn't much to look at but there was enough to hold my attention.

With some help from Doc Bob I managed to get a couple of sections crosscut and readied for ripping. Take note of the choppers and stocking cap Bob's wearing....they are mine. The temp was in the single digits fahrenheit so not too cold there however the wind was blowing out of the NW at about 25mph so it was a bit nippy.

I was moving pretty quickly to stay warm. Not long before I had my blanks field dressed and ready to go.

I've already carved the set and they are in my drying chamber. I was fortunate to get three sound blanks out of this trip as there was already a lot of dry rot and fungal activity taking its toll. Stay tuned, it shouldn't be much longer before I have a finished "Cottonwood Movements" to share with you.