**Latest Additions**
(Currently Available Carvings)
Howl at the Moon (Available)
This feral gentleman marks my sixth attempt at carving the Wolfman. I decided to keep a bit of the natural bark texture around the edge of this piece, to give the illusion of his fur melding in to / out of the tree bark. The knot in his forehead is a cool little natural feature that emerged while carving, and seems to be a pretty rare thing to happen with these bark pieces; I don't ever recall any other distinct knot in my 350+ completed carvings. He measures about 11" x 4.5".
Revenge of the Creature (Available)
This fellow marks my sixth attempt at carving the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and every one really seems to develop their own personalities by the end of the process. I decided to keep some of the natural bark texture around the edges of this piece to frame him out a little, but also give the illusion that he's emerging from the tree bark. With the discovery of some extra large pieces of bark, he is my largest attempt at the Creature measuring 11.5" x 5" at his widest.
Barkbell (Available)
Yet another little 'mushroom man' to cap off my inventory. I especially like the character added to this guy by the large crack across his nose and the patch of natural bark skin that hung around on the side of his hat. His name is a little more straightforward than most... he's made from bark and has a bell shape. He measures about 8.5" x 3"
Sporrin (Available)
I noticed collection of carvings has been rather lacking in the 'mushroom man' department for a little while now, so this morel-capped gnome popped up. His name is a fungus based play on Thorin Oakenshield of Hobbit fame. He measures about 7" x 2.5".
Briarose (Available)
This sleeping beauty came from a rather gnarly piece of bark. I've been looking at for quite some time with no ideas about what to carve into such a knotted but also shallow piece. Inspiration stuck and she was the result. Incidentally, her name came from the Grimms Brothers' original name for Sleeping Beauty (not the Disney-fied, Aurora version). She measures about 11.5" x 4".
Boo (Available)
With this fellow I decided to try something a little more whimsical. Since the original shape of this piece of bark narrowed so abruptly towards the bottom, there wasn't a lot of room for the traditional draping wings at the sides. Angling them upwards was the next best thing. His name came about from the game of 'Peek-a-boo!' he's attempting to play. He measures about 10.5" x 3.5".
Pip (Available)
This little fellow was created from a remnant of another, larger piece of bark. Once again, I wanted to attempt to retain as much of the natural bark texture as possible, with areas along the one side of his face and the end of his tail. With his diminutive size (compared to many of my other carvings) I thought his name was more than appropriate. He measures about 7.5" x 2".
Antoinetta (Available)
In creating this woman, I felt she looking rather "Bronte-esque" with a distant, haunting stare. Thus, her name was inspired by Edward Rochester's deranged, attic-dwelling wife from the novel Jane Eyre; Bertha Antoinetta Rochester (I apologize for the spoiler for those who have yet to read that literary classic). She measures about 7.5" x 3".
The Broccoliving Dead (Available)
This fellow came about from an oddly shaped piece of bark that just didn't seem to want to work as a mushroom. With it's bulbous top I thought it looked more like broccoli and, in the vein of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, I figured this guy would make and interesting zombie vegetable. He measures about 11" x 2.5".
Elowen (Available)
This carving has a rather ethereal feel to it, with her eyes seeming to glow as she emerges from the tree bark. I thought she turned out looking rather elfish, so I chose her name because it felt reminscient of fairie royalty. Elowen also translates to 'Elm Tree" from its Cornish roots. She measures about 15" x 3".
Good Trouble (Available)
This carving was created as a submission for The Shallot magazine. The prompt was: "something that you wish..." and with this piece I decided to shoot for a 180 of my last submission. Taking inspiration from the 1980's punk movment, this fellow sports not only a spiked mohawk and a chipped front tooth, but also the 'Anarchy' and 'No Kings' symbols and 'REBEL' scratched across his chin. Getting into a little 'Good Trouble' is necessary to shake things up! He measures about 12.5" x 3".
Quiet Strength (Available)
This carving was created as a submission for The Shallot magazine. The prompt was: "something that you wish..." I felt this carving exudes the calm and quiet strength everyone longs for nowadays. I especially love the layered way her dreadlocks frame and flow around her face. She measures about 14.5" x 3".
The Green Guardian (Available)
This gentleman came about from a desire to maintain as much natural texture as possible while carving. Thus, this wizened tree spirit, just barely emerging from the bark, appeared in order to watch over his corner of the forest. I absolutely love the way his facial features blend into the natural contures of the bark. He is one of my larger pieces, measuring about 18" x 3.5"
Seraphina (Available)
One of my carving resolutions for 2026 has been to expand my design selection by attempting to carve more female figures. This radiant maiden is my first completed woman for 2026. Utilizing more of the natural form, she is carved into the recess of the bark blank with the tendrils of her hair flowing in the texture of the bark. Her name is a play on the order of angels (seraphim), as I think she turned out rather angelic. She measures about 11" x 3".
Robin Goodfellow (Available)
I have had numerous inquries about if I have ever tried my hand at carving a "green man" over the years. While I have carved many faux green men, I have never actually attempted one in the tradional design (surrounded by leaves for hair and facial hair). This gentleman is my take on the traditional green man, while also leaving a substantial portion of natural bark texture. Shakespeare enthusiasts may recognize his name as an alternative name of Puck, the trickster fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream; his "Robin" persona was sometimes depicted as eldery green man. He measures about 12.5" x 2.5".
Nocturne (Available)
This skinny fellow marks my last completed carving of 2025! I especially love his dark, haunting eyes (which, incidentally, took a few attempts to get them to look the way I intended). He measures about 12.5" x 2.25".
Ogg the Ogre (Available)
This angry cyclops has the unusual feature of being born out of a piece of bark that appears to be two furrows fused togther; note the natural texture on both the upper right and lower left sections of the piece. His name came about because it felt natrual to name him something that sounded like a grunt. He measures about 10" x 2.5"
Roscoe (Available)
This expressive gentleman is saddled with an impressive mustache and a well-groomed haircut. He measures about 9" x 2".
Screaming into the Void (Available)
This piece was created in response to a call for artwork from The Shallot magazine (in which I was previously featured). The prompt was to submit a piece of artwork that embodies either reflection or growth; I chose reflection. This is a self portrait of me screaming, meant to express all of the emotions I have been going through over the course of 2024, as my wife was diagnosed with cancer, her treatments, and her surgery (along with her lengthy hospital stay. I feel this kinda sums up my 2024 pretty accurately. It measures about 11" x 2.5".
The Ghoul (Available)
This reanimated corpse head is one of the more gruesome pieces I believe I have ever made. He started as more of a mummified skull design, with his eyes still intact, but the decaying details seemed to snowball after I got going. This design came about because I was trying to figure out something interesting to do with a piece of bark with a broken bottom section and the final outcome seems more than fitting. He measures about 8.5" x 3".
Blaze (Available)
This gentleman is yet another bearded skull. I really like the detail of the bruised wood grain and layers around his cheek bones and forehead, and his nasal cavity turned out pretty realistic looking considering as how it broke a few times while I tried to carved the fine detail. His name comes from how his hair looks like flowing flames from the top of his head. He measures about 15" x 3".
Pharaoh's Curse (Available)
This gentleman marks my third attempt at carving The Mummy, and this is, by far, the fiercest one. I think I have been putting off trying my hand at this particular monster for so long because of the amount of detail work involved. However, I am thrilled with the intensity of his eyes, and especially with the way his blackened gums highlight his decay. He measures about 7.75" x 3.75".
The Remains of Bark and Bone (Available)
This piece started as a problematic section of bark that had a rather deep furrow running through the middle. As a result, that blank sat next to my desk for 5+ years waiting for inspiration to strike me; which it finally did in the form of a pair of stacked skulls. The texture of the tree bark really turned out cool, and I did my best to preserve as much of the natural live edge where the bark meets the skulls. Overall, it measures about 11" x 3".
Alistair Blackwood (Available)
This elder statesman was created from a piece of bark that had a deep and interesting fissure running about half of the length. In trying to maintain that cool, natural feature, I incorporated it into the inner side of his left (our right) mustache. As for his name, he seemed to need something a little more distinguished that the usual fare. He measures about 12.5" x 3".
Nice Hat (Available)
This is yet another combination piece featuring Cottonwood bark, Black Walnut shells, and an interesting piece of driftwood. This whimsical piece involves two friendly hedgehogs and a rather annoyed owl. It measures about 6.5" x 9" x 8".
Wake Up! We're Burning Moonlight (Available)
This is another combination piece featuring Cottonwood Bark, a Black Walnut shell, and a section of a Mulberry branch. The title is suppose to be a goofy play on the animal kingdom since both of these creatures are nocturnal. This piece measures about 6" x 8.5" x 3".
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".
Pike (Available)
This fellow proved to be a very interesting, and yet frustrating, case of try and try again. He went through about four different design stages, each of which just didn't seem to work with the piece, before I arrived on this grumpy looking gentleman. His name came about because I think he looks like a grizzled old dock worker. He measures about 8" x 2".
Mr. J. (Available)
This piece was commissioned by a friend of mine for his collectible toy store in Stevens Point, WI. This version of the Joker was modeled after the Arkham Asylum video game series. He measures about 12" x 3".
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".
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".
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".
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".
