Again More Totem Stuff
At least as it
applies to me and my progress on the totem I am carving. I managed to squeeze
out another tank of gas and have finally started to spin the log a little to
see other parts I need to start working on. It is kind of hard to judge the
depths of some of the carvings and I really don’t want to over penetrate and
affect the overall strength of the log itself.
By rolling the
log ever so slightly I can see I am still on target as far as attaching the
wings as I will have plenty of room for the notch to allow the wings to be firmly
attached. I will drill holes in the wing section once I have it firmly seated
and glued in its respective position and then the dowels will be glued in and
shaved off with the chainsaw flush with the surface.
I will be
showing pics of me doing this as I go along. It all seems simple to me as I have
been doing this type of thing for a while. That is carving and finishing
sculptures. By describing in detail exactly what the process is as I am doing
on this blog, I might even later write a book on chainsaw carving that the beginner
to the pro could use as a reference if they are working on their own project. All
chainsaw carvers are artists as far as I am concerned, and rightly so, each has
his own style and method, he will use to achieve the results he wants. Mistakes
will be made as I am sure the Sistine chapel has errors even Michelangelo made
when painting, and repetitive errors lends itself to the individual’s style. Anyone
can copy and the question is can I copy Da Vinci to a degree that my work is
looks like his , I highly doubt it, and when I try to sell it as anything other than
my own work do I have a problem. As long as I sign my own name at the bottom, I
am ok with the work I produce. But if I try to pass it off as anything but my
own interpretation, then I am stepping into an area of deceit and forgery.
No two people
can produce an exact replica of the same thing; we each will have our own spin
on what we perceive. Besides we are talking wood sculptures each with their own
distinct personality. The initial log is different even before the chainsaw is
applied. Let alone the methods or techniques of the individual artist are as
varied as the conditions and the mindset of the carver encounters as he goes
along. Throw in the uncertain bounce of a spinning chain and I hardly worry
anyone can carve like me.
When I started
out carving I would draw lines and mark this line out, and that line out,
marking up the outside of the log. This is great except I spent more time
looking for the magic marker that wasn’t so magic after you drag that felt tip
across the bark a couple of times and of course you would leave the cap off and
a weak barely distinguishable line might appear. At times the slim cylindrical
design would be apt to roll off the table and land on the floor and roll right
of sight. I found it all way to breath taking , meaning I would lose my breath
looking for the darn thing as I walked between the greenhouse, the garage, and
the house, searching for another, that I
just gave up looking and spent the time with the chainsaw just carving. For a beginner
it helps you visualize where you should be carving. For me it’s in my head and I
am not exactly sure how it works, that I see what I see, all I know is that it
does work.
And contrary to
popular belief to me it makes no difference which end I carve or the spatial
alignment of the log in respect to the grain or the cracks. I have carved a
piece upside down, against the grain and however. I just carve. Sure I look and
familiarize myself with the log as I look at it bare. Noting problems, knots
etc. but chances are I would have avoided a lot of knots I am barely able to
carve. I have a pretty good choice of logs available. I make the piece I am
working fit in the log and not try to carve something out of the logs shape.
Form of the log has no bearing except fit and size of finished carving when it
comes to choosing a log. Less knots equals less problems. As an example the
base of a pine is a good log usually, as limbs have fallen years ago, and have
healed over. The wood is soft and cuts easily and quick and holds a good sharp
detail and sands easily.
In retrospect as
I delve into all the aspects of chainsaw carving, one could see that a lot of
variables work into the overall sculpture and in the end it still depends on
one loose nut behind the trigger of that chainsaw knowing when enough is
enough. That is the hardest part.
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