Skull Carvings
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".
Older Designs / Sold Pieces
Lirio (Sold)
This beautiful lady marks my seventh attempt at a Dia de los Muertos calavera. With the non-traditional design of my last one, I wanted to turn the tables back to full traditional with this calavera. Her name is Spanish for Lily, which is also the basis for the flower design set into her forehead. The accompanying vines covering the rest of her skull make this design my most detailed to date. She measures about 8" x 2.5".
Johnny Bones (Sold)
This gentleman was actually kind of a 'study' piece for some other carvings that I would like to work on in the future. It has been a while since I attempted a skull with any type of hair, so I started this fellow with the hopes of honing my transitions between hair texture and smooth bone. It just so happens that the piece of bark I started with had just enough extra surface area for his scruffy goatee. He measures about 10" x 3".
Wraith (Sold)
I'm constantly in the process of trying to perfect my older designs, and this gentleman is a solid example of me attempting to make my basic skull design more contoured and realistic looking. He can out with this sinister looking grin, so his name came about from his apparently malevolent spirit. He measures about 7.5" x 2.5".
Necro (Sold)
This guy started as a pretty standard skull, but every once in a while the grain pattern of the bark adds some really cool texture and character. His name came from the grain texture making him look like he still has some necrotizing flesh trying to hang to his skull. He measures about 7" x 3".
Franken Skull (Sold)
I originally intended for this little skull to have a complete jawbone, but as the process got underway I quickly discovered that there just wasn't enough room to make that happen. Thus, he came out a few bones short, and with some chipped up teeth on the right side of his face. He was named by one of my daughters, and he measures about 5" x 2".
Dead Elvis (Sold)
This gentleman was what I was envisioning when I decided to try my hand at bearded skulls again. I really like the flowing, almost flame-like, texture of his hair and beard, and the two-toned shading of the layers of bark in his face give this guy some very interesting highlighted features. As for his name, when I was tossing things around my oldest daughter stopped me and said his name really could only be Dead Elvis, so there it is. He measures about 12" x 2.5".
Molotov (Sold)
This rebellious piece came from my desire to create a skull sporting a mohawk. Named after the infamous cocktail, I had originally struggled with his name. I was planning to name him something completely different, but when I started adding the texture to his mohawk he practically screamed his name at me. I especially like the chip in his front tooth, which was a total accident of the wood breaking away while finishing some fine detail work. I think it fits perfectly with his personality. He measures about 11" x 3".
Llama Negra (Sold)
This fellow marks my sixth attempt at a Dia de los Muertos calavera. For this design I was looking for something further away from a traditional calavera design and started with the basis for his name; the small 'black flame' set in his forehead. The rest of the design came from the desire for a flowing frame to highlight the central fire. This fierce gentleman measures about 7.5" x 3".
Poor Yorick (Sold)
"Alas, Poor Yorick, I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rims at it.
"This poor soul measures about 7.5" x 4"
Reaper (Sold)
"Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain. We can be like they are, come on baby..." He measures about 11" x 3.75".
Mola Ram (Sold)
This piece is a testament to carvings that just won't do what I originally intend them to do. I started out several years ago by designing this piece to be an old man with mutton chops and a long, flowing soul patch goatee. Well, it kept breaking and I couldn't get the contours right. Fast forward about three years as it lay dormant. I finally decided to carve off the bottom tip and try something drastically different. As I began to take material off, the decorative spearhead and bauble took form and this piece finally had a solid direction.On to the name. This piece is named after the leader (high priest) of the Thuggee Cult in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. His jacked up teeth and the decorative spear, I felt, were very reminiscent of the character. This is my interpretation of Mola Ram following his romp with the crocodiles. He measures about 12.5" x 3"
We The People (NFS)
This piece was created for a special auction event hosted by The Crafty Fair in order to raise money for Black Lives Matter movement and downtown Madison businesses. He is simply a skull wearing a Covid-19 mask. There's so much I could say about this piece, but I think I would rather just let him speak for himself. He measures about 7.5" x 3.25"
Rosa (Sold)
This lady marks my fifth attempt at a Dia de los Muertos calavera, and was created as a commission piece following my gallery opening at Yahara Bay Distillers. Her name comes from the beautiful relief design carved into her forehead. She measures about 9" x 4".
Estrella (Sold)
This gentleman marks my fourth attempt at a Dia de los Muertos calavera. His name comes from the wonderful 3D relief set into his forehead. He measures about 8" x 4"
Skoltr (Sold)
This little guy required a while to work out the all of the fine details, but the result was pretty cool. I'm especially happy with the irregularity of his teeth and the dark shading within his eye sockets. Since I was working on a show with Viking influences when carving him his name is 'skull' in Old Norse. He measures about 6.5" x 2.25".
Margarita (Sold)
This lady marks my third attempt at a Dia de los Muertos calavera. Her name is derived from the Spanish word for 'daisy'.
Corazon (Sold)
This fellow is my second attempt at creating a Dia de los Muertos calavera carving. He has a bit more detail than my first attempt, plus the lower jaw which makes him look like more of a complete skull.
Araña (Sold)
This fellow is my first attempt at creating a Dia de los Muertos calavera carving, or a decorative skull showcased during Day of the Dead celebrations. This fellow's name comes from the decorative web spanning his forehead.
Spike (Spike)
So named for the giant spike sticking out of the bottom of his jaw. I especially like the crack above his left eye socket and the curve of his lower jaw. He measures about 16.5" x 2.5".
Fracture (Sold)
It's always great when the piece of wood I'm working with decides to cooperate, and this fellow is a prime example. The rough spots on both his head and jaw are the natural outer layer of the bark, which give the appearance of being broken and charred after the finish is applied. His name comes from the obvious cranial trauma that he's recently suffered.
Jaws (Sold)
Tried something a little different with this guy... Skull with shark teeth!
Jolly Roger (Sold)
While searching through my carving blank I came upon this piece, which immediately brought the shape of a skull to my mind. I'm very fond of the curvature and depth of this piece, which when compared to some of my other skulls make this piece much more three dimensional and realistic. He gets his name from the infamous pirate flag, even though he is lacking the accompanying cross-bones.
Vlad the Impaled (Sold)
Rarely does this happen nowadays, but I planned this piece as something completely different; it was originally going to be a skull with a mohawk. However, as the carving started it took on a mind of its own and became the impaled skull you see before you. Notice the cool vampire teeth and the awesome fracture to the skull.
Grim (Sold)
This skull marks the first carving that I have completed since my relocation from Anchorage back to WI. I especially like the bullet-hole looking knot in his forehead and the slight crack on either side of the nasal cavity.
Phantom (Sold)
This piece was born from a cool idea that I originally saw employed by a tiki designer. The raw bark that was left to cover a portion of this skull's face led to it's name.
Yorick (Sold)
"I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."
Torch (Sold)
A charred skull whose jawbone appears to be in sorry shape. The natural bark texture gives off an interesting charred look when the finish is applied.
Bones (Sold)
Bones is a bearded skull. I had some trouble with smoothing the surface of the wood inside of the cheek cavities, so I finally said 'let's get rid of it!' He was finished with a hollow cavity inside of his jaw.
Mr. Copperpot (Sold)
"Copper bones, westward foams, triple stones..."
