clum westwood

     today was a day for learning, o a few pics of newest starving farmer. i have done 5 of these guys and clum is the fifth. i have orphy, cecil( who is gone now to greener pastures in new york. then there is clodette, and her husband clod. hard times have fell on them all, letting them all look for a new line of work. because literally they were starving. these sculptures are unique and part of series i have set a self imposed limit on. not unlike me they are reflective of my own ambitions of trying to make something from nothing. i was a t a low point in my life and i was tired of cutting firewood and trying to make a go of farming. had to sell cows, and was looking at my resources to see what was next .

     i had plenty of wood and chainsaws and being in new mexico and seeing how unbelievably easy it was to carve bears , figured i was a shoe in for carving wood. i failed terribly , but had perseverance to continue. at first i just put out on a hay wagon to see what everyones response was going to be. people travelling up and down the road began gawking and hitting brakes , rubbernecking my sculptures on wagon. i took one large carving out and placed alongside road. weighed at least 600 lbs, and it was gone in a couple of days. actually the first carving to be stolen from my watch. and not the last either. i put it down there with  a tractor and i am sure it took 2 guys to snatch. where and when i dont know.

     but one good thing came out of it. i knew i had something. and the selling began , and i became better at what i do.  http://www.network54.com/Forum/675303/thread/1325200374/last-1325345972/getting+some+work+done   - anyhow this is a link to a chainsaw carving forum where they discuss my carving. i thought it was cool. - added 12/31/11.