**Latest Additions**
(All Available Carvings)
Ponderosa Pincrest (Available)
This wingless owl was inspired by a photo that I came across of a round, ceramic owl with all of its feathers puffed out. His name came about because of his resemblance to a large pinecone. He measures about 10" x 2.5".
Snuggle Hoot (Available)
This little fellow was created from a remnant piece of bark cut off of a larger piece. He is yet another little sleeping owl, just because I think they're so cute, but as an added bonus with this little guy I finally took my wife's advice and started using Chat GPT to offer me up some suggestions for names. It seems to suggest a lot of off the mark things, but every once in a while it comes up with a winner. He measures about 5" x 2.5".
Meh-Feather (Available)
This owl of indifference came as an inspiration from my middle-schooler's baseline attitude towards life nowadays. The look on it's face says it all: "How was your day today?" "meh..." He measures about 8" x 2".
Quixote (Available)
This gentleman, with his oddly asymmetrical haircut, reminded me so much of the crazy and triumphant spirit of Don Quixote that I couldn't help but name him accordingly. He measures about 7" x 2.5".
Frostcap (Available)
This gentleman marks my first completed carving of 2024. He is a basic gnome carving that I started during the 2023 Crafty Fair. His name came about from billowy-brimmed winter cap. He measures about 10" x 2".
Rise of Gillman (Available)
This fellow marks my fifth attempt at the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and it really does seem that every time he gets a little more accurate and realistic looking. I'm just so happy with all of the fine details this piece has, and how to wood grain accentuates the folds in his skin and the texture of his gills just enough. He measures about 9" x 3".
Son of Dracula (Available)
This gentleman marks my fourth attempt at Dracula. I really like the flow of his cloak collar and how it envelops the lower portion of his face. He measures about 10" x 3.5".
Frankie Comes Alive (Available)
This fellow marks my ninth version of Frankenstein's monster. I felt the need to get a little creative with his name this time, so I decided to name him along the lines of a certain album that I told that everybody had. "If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide." He measures about 7.5" x 3".
The Dead Pirate Roberts (Available)
This gentleman was created because I am always looking for unique takes on my standard designs. I started with the vision of a basic skull with a beard, but as the piece came together his beard became more flowing and he started to take on an almost spectral look. Ghostly pirate is where my mind went, and what better name than a play on The Princess Bride. He measures about 13.5" x 3".
Oberon (Available)
This gentleman started out as a portion of a larger piece of bark that proved too challenging to carve into one design; so, I broke it apart and created several pieces from that one blank. With the natural wood texture that I left on the outer portion of this piece I fully intended for him to be akin to a 'Greenman' design where his face would seem to be peering out from the tree bark. Thus, Oberon seemed a fitting name for a Greenman, since he is, traditionally, King of the Fairies. He measures about 11" x 2.5".
Half Pint (Available)
This small gentleman started out as a portion of a larger piece of bark that proved too challenging to carve into one design; so, I broke it apart and created several pieces from that one blank. Because of this, I chose to leave him with the natural texture on the left side of his face, which was part of a furrow in the larger piece of bark, and I think it adds a bit of burnt / deteriorating character. His name comes from the combination of him having only part of a face, and that fact that he is a bit smaller than most of my other pieces. He measures about 5" x 2".
Kristopher (Available)
This little guy was created from a remnant piece of bark that came off the bottom of separate carving. He's designed to be reminiscent of an old world Santa Claus, hence the unique spelling of his name. He measures about 5.5" x 3"
Jason Lives (Available)
CH, CH, CH, AH, AH, AH... Welcome to Camp Crystal Lake where it's Friday the 13th all over again!This smaller version of Jason Voorhees started out as a completely different masked individual and kinda morphed into Jason as the carving went along. He's carved as a type of bust with a level bottom, so he can be displayed either hanging on a wall or sitting on a shelf. He measures about 6" x 2".
Woman of the Wood (Available)
This somber woman was modeled after a dryad spirit peering out through the tangled roots of a tree. She is featured with the Celtic triple spiral, or Triskele, on her cheek as a symbol of the life-death-rebirth cycle of nature. She measures about 8" x 2".
Short Stack (Available)
This little guy came about from a scrap piece of bark that I cut off another, larger carving. I wanted to incorporate a little perch for his to sit on, and I'm rather fond of the little feather highlights on either side of his head; I think they add a great finishing touch to this plump little guy. He measures about 3.5" x 3.5".
Kia'i (Available)
This was created as one of my basic moai designs. And, since the moai were meant to be guardians, standing watch on the shores of Easter Island his name is 'guardian' in Polynesian. He measures about 7.5" x 2.5".
Nuggs (Available)
This goofy little guy was originally meant to be something completely different, and when I started to design him I got inspired to do something a little sillier by the potato scrubber sitting by our kitchen sink. Well, this 'nugget' of a guy showed up; which is where he gets his name. He measures about 6.5" x 4".
Eye of the Beholder (Available)
This piece came about from a scrap piece of bark that I trimmed off a of a piece that I was using for a separate commission piece. The positive feedback previous from my previous eye carving lead me to want to try another. I feel like this one seems to have more of a benevolent gaze about it. He measures about 4" x 3".
Smolder (Available)
This fellow came together rather easily from a piece of bark that looked, very much, like an owl on a perch to begin with. It's his facial expression that took a bit of experimentation, and the final product is pretty sultry indeed. He measures about 11.5" x 2.5".
Brontes (Available)
This monstrous fellow came from a drawing that one of my daughters did on one of my carving blanks a few months ago. In the original drawing she gave him a top hat and lots of needle-sharp teeth, but the finished product called for a few changes. His name comes from a cyclops in Greek mythology whose name means "thunder". He measures about 11" x 2.5".
Cotton (Available)
This little gentleman was a piece I started at the 2022 Crafty Fair. I especially like his distinctively flowing mustache, and his name, simply enough, comes from the fact he's cottonwood bark (I'm kinda surprised I hadn't used that one yet.) He measures about 6" x 2".
Whitman (Available)
This wisened fellow reminds me a great deal of the poet from whom he gets his name. He measures about 14" x 2".
Iron Jake (Available)
This serious looking gentleman has seen some hard times, but come out better for it. His flowing mustache 'covers' the not so subtle scar of his checkered past. His name reflects his hardships, but also his steadfastness. He measures about 11" x 2.5".
Frost (Available)
This narrow guy is another take on a small snowy owl. He measures about 8.5" x 2".
1-UP (Available)
This 'fun guy' is one of my pieces that started off as a completely different concept and morphed into its own thing during the carving process. The final piece is a mash up of a red and white mushroom (Amanita muscaria) and a certain Italian plumber. He measures about 8" x 3.5".
Thorntooth (Available)
This whimsical Ent was created by carving out the natural furrows of the bark. His name came about from the jagged protrusion by the side of his mouth. He measures about 12.5" x 3".
Soursap (Available)
This grumpy, cycloptic Ent was created following the natural texture of this piece of cottonwood bark. His name comes from his 'not too pleased' expression. He measures about 14.5" x 2.5".
Lion's Mane (Available)
This gentleman is yet another of my mushroom / gnome men. His name is a reference to both a variety of mushroom as well as a name for his stylized beard (sans mustache). He measures about 11" x 2.5".
Skinny Pete (Available)
The inspiration for this gentleman came from a narrow piece of bark that had an unusual horizontal crack near the middle of it. The shape of the crack became his mouth and led to his grumpy expression. He measures about 10.5" x 2.5".
Remington (Available)
I started carving this mustachioed gentleman while manning my booth at the 2021 Crafty Fair. His name came about because I was looking for something that would fit his 'rough and tumble' cowboy type of look. I think it suits him nicely. He measures about 7.5" x 3".
Gaia (Available)
This piece began as something slightly different, but I always intended for the finished product to be a woman with the division of light vs. dark visible on her face. All of the facial tattoos and her flowing dreadlocks are burned. Her name just felt fitting, as a woman who embodies all things of the earth, both light and dark. She measures about 16.5" x 3.5"
Skinnysticks (Available)
This Ent-ish gentleman marks my last completed carving of 2021. Akin to 'Guantwood', this fellow came about from a very narrow piece of bark, and his goofy expression mimics the natural furrows of the bark. He measures about 16" x 2"
Toa Moai (Available)
This fellow was inspired from a previous tiki carving I completed a few years ago by the name of "Haka". I just liked how the tongue turned out on that other piece and wanted to see if I could replicate it. Also, I wanted the mouth and tongue to stand out as the focal point of this piece, so I decided to combine a 'tiki' style bottom half with a more simplistic Easter Island 'Moai' style top half. His name comes from the combination of these two styles; in Southpacific Islander "Toa" translates to "Warrior" and "Moai" translates to "Statue", so the his name means exactly what he is: "Warrior Statue". He measures about 11" x 1.75"
Hyldemoer (Available)
The concept for this carving began while I was sitting in my booth at the 2019 Crafty Fair. I spoke with a customer who said she'd like it if I could incorporate more 'feminine' carvings into my work. Right then and there I started sketching some into the blanks I was working on and Hyldemoer was the first to be completed.
Her name comes from Norse mythology, where "Hyldemoer" was the Elder Mother spirit, guardian of the Elder trees. If anyone were to take wood from the Elder Tree without asking her permission ill luck would befall them.
I chose to add some Nordic Runes (Elder Futhark) to my interpretation to reaffirm her Nordic roots. From the top left over: the bent looking 'C' is the Rune for the Elder Tree and Feminine Energy; the triangular 'P' is the Rune for Pleasure and Harmony; and the pointed "N" is the Rune for Destruction, Loss and Change. I feel the combination of these Runes really illustrates the duality of the spirit this piece embodies; she is a guardian spirit that can either be benevolent or destructive depending upon how she is treated.
Finally, this piece was one of the first cottonwood carvings that I chose to incorporate wood burning in order to highlight some of her features. Each of the Runes, as well as her irises, are lightly burned. I didn't originally intend to burn her lips as well, but I was having issues with finishing the piece and my eldest daughter flat out told me the problem was her lips needed to be burned, too; problem solved! She measures about 5.5" x 3.75"
Old Man Logan (Available)
Based more on the comic series than the recent movie, this gentleman is a future version of Wolverine that is weathered, grizzled, and always seems to be angry. He measures about 9" x 3".
Rorschach (Available)
"We are all puppets... I'm just a puppet who can see the strings". By far the most dynamic and well-developed character from The Watchmen, he's best known for his ever-changing mask. Rorschach measures about 9" x 3.5" .
Copper Bones (Available)
"I have the key to One-Eyed Willie..." He measures about 6.5" x 2.5".
Anger (Available)
Since I've carved such an array of Moai faces in the past, I decided to begin incorporating expression and emotion into my basic design in order to mix things up a little bit. My first attempt is this irate fellow. I'm especially happy with the natural furrow in his forehead and how it adds to his disgruntled demeanor. He measures about 9" x 2".
Count Orlok (Available)
Count Orlok from the silent film Nosferatu. When I began this mysterious gentleman, I was a bit anxious about how his eyes and teeth would turn out, as they are his most striking features. With that said, I am very happy with the detail that came out in the finished product. He measures about 10" x 3".
Mino'aka (Available)
I created this piece in order to try my hand at a "tiki'-style carving. I also had a very triangular blank that seemed prefect for the span of the mouth and the angle of the nose. His name is "smile" in Hawaiian. He measures about 8" x 2".
The King's Justice (Available)
For fans of Game of Thrones, this gentleman in the executioner's mask is how I pictured Ilyn Payne when I read the novel. For fans of the show, I fully realize that this fellow doesn't resemble Wilko Johnson. Lastly, I really don't think you could arrive at a more suitable name for an executioner. He measures about 8.5" x 3".
Scorch (Available)
This severely burned individual was created from a piece of bark that was too narrow to accommodate his entire face. The 'burned' portion of this piece is actually the natural outer skin of the cottonwood bark, and it takes on a charred color after it's sealed. I find it very fun when a face seems to carve itself based on the shape of the original piece of bark. I am especially proud of the way the mouth and the blown out portion of his cheek turned out. This is my macabre sense of art at its best. He measures about 10" x 2".
