A Primitive Trophy brings a shine to my week
May 12, 2012
PAAS Trophy 2012. English Pear.
This past week has been a little odd for reasons I won’t go into here. One of the best things to come out of the past seven days has been the trophy I made that you can see in the photograph.
You may be looking at it thinking ‘er what is it for’, and I don’t blame you for that as its not really self explanatory unless you know what you’re looking at.
As well as being a wood carver I am an archer and I shoot a primitive bow (little more than a shaped Ash stick and yes I did make it myself with some help) and I belong to a group called the Prehistoric Archery and Atlatl Society or PAAS. You can learn a little more about the group here.
Last year the PAAS held the first ever Primitive Archery Championships and I attended, its where I learned how to throw a 6ft long dart using an Atlatl (but thats another story). Soon after that I joined the group and offered to make a trophy to be given away at this years event.
For ages I couldn’t think what I wanted to make, I was worried about what people would be pleased to receive, what was relevant and what was suitable. Every idea I came up with just seemed wrong in my gut, the day was getting closer and I didn’t have anything made. I ran through countless options but none was right, everything seemed to be too ‘polished’ and not ‘primitive’ enough. My instincts were screaming at me that my thoughts were wrong.
I was getting slightly panicky, I couldn’t even find a suitable piece of wood, something native was requested so as to fit in more with the ethos of the group. Then I walked past this piece of English Pear wood sitting on a work bench that had fallen off of a log when I was using it to split smaller logs for the wood burner last summer. When it happened I decided to keep the interesting looking piece rather than burn it, I knew it would come in handy at some point. I was fascinated by the different colours within the wood as I have only ever seem steamed pear before this, this is air dried pear from my mums friends garden more than 20 years ago (they should be nice and dry by now!).
As soon as I found it I knew it would make a great trophy and that the PAAS logo would look great carved in relief onto it as was with no smoothing of the wood. My instinct had finally kicked in with good feelings. Once the relief was carved I thought that it didn’t stand out enough so I painted it in with acrylic and added some rottenstone over the paint to age it. Painting on Danish Oil darkened the wood beautifully but removed all the rottenstone, the paint looked too bright without it so I re added the rottenstone before the oil dried in the hope that the oil will help it to stay put.
I am really pleased with the result as I think its really quite effective and to me looks like a cave painting (I know its on wood but the spirit of cave painting, though I can’t take any credit for the logo design). I loved making it, and if they tell me that they liked it and the Championships are run again next year I’d love to make another.
Unfortunately, and sadly, for various reasons I can’t get to the championships this year so I’ve posted off the trophy and by the time you read this it should be there (without me which is sad). I don’t know who will win it, obviously, but I hope that they like it and are proud to be its new owner.
If you’re reading this and you’re going to the Championships this weekend have a great time and know that I’m really jealous of you……
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Comments (0) | Tags: carving, English Pear, Jutta M Stiller, PAAS, Pear wood, Prehistoric Archery and Atlatl Society, relief carving, Rottenstone, woodcarving
Fabulous Fish Netsuke News
April 26, 2012
I am really pleased to say that I found out this morning that my Fish Netsuke ‘Fisho’ has been accepted into the upcoming ‘Hilliard Society of Miniaturists Annual International Exhibition’.
So if you are anywhere near Wells in Somerset between Saturday 26th May and Sunday 3rd June 2012 do go and have a look. The Exhibition is being held at the Town Hall, Market Place, Wells, Somerset.
If you are not in the area you can actually view the Exhibition online at the Hilliard Society website from 26th May here (this will open a new window).
I’m now working out whether I can get down there myself to have a look, its not that far is it?
If you liked this post, are interested in what I do and would like to be first know what I’m up to click here to subscribe to my newsletter ‘Tales From the Woodcarving Bench’ for FREE updates (this will open another window). I will never, ever, ever share your information with anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Comments (2) | Tags: art exhibition, Fish Netsuke, Hilliard Society of Miniaturists, Jutta M Stiller, miniatures exhibition, Netsuke, Walnut, wood carving, wood sculpture, woodcarving
Fish Netsuke the finished carving
April 5, 2012
Fisho, Fish Netsuke in Walnut, front view
Fisho, Fish Netsuke in Walnut, side view
As you can see from the photos above the Fish Netsuke is completed and I am really pleased with him, and yes he is a ‘he’ it somehow felt right.
He now has a name, ‘Fisho’, as the shape that his body makes when looking from above is that of an ‘O’. Lots and lots of different names were gone through but that one just seemed to stick once I had thought of it, nothing else worked as well so thats the name he has.
I have taken lots and lots of pictures of him and the two pictures shown above are roughly from the same angles as in the last post so that, hopefully, the progression from one set to the next can be seen.
Although you can’t see it very well in the second image there is an eye in there underneath the tail fin, you have to look pretty close to see it though. The eyes really brought him alive, once the first eye was carved in things seemed to drop into place.
The decision whether or not to leave him smooth or carve in scales was quite a difficult one as I knew that once the scales were started I wouldn’t be able to change my mind, if I didn’t like them I’d have to scrap the carving. Luckily I think that they have really worked, they both look good and give a great texture to the fish.
Just like my Dormouse Netsuke ’40 Winks’, Fisho is less than 4cm in any direction.
As we speak Fisho has arrived at the selection panel for a Miniatures exhibition and I am waiting to hear whether he has got in or not. I do not know when the panel are making their decision so I’m trying really hard not to think about it too much. As soon as I know I’ll let you know.
If you would like to see more images of Fisho you can find them here.
I’ve already started researching my next subject, though I’ll wait a little bit longer to reveal what it will be.
If you liked this post, are interested in what I do and would like to be first know what I’m up to click here to subscribe to my newsletter ‘Tales From the Woodcarving Bench’ for FREE updates (this will open another window). I will never, ever, ever share your information with anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time.