The Craftsperson

 "A craftperson's job is half meditation...half creation. It takes creativity to design whatever you are working on...but it takes meditation to do it right. Making things with one's own hands cultivates a certain generosity and openness of the heart. It nourishes the state of mind in the craftsperson themselves...which is intimately connected with an entire way of life. The process of making something cultivates humility while connecting us with something fundamental about our humanity:  the interaction between the remarkable capacity of our own human hands and the ingenuity of our minds. Looking back on the things you've made is an enjoyable experience. It is almost as if the energy you put into making something remains stored in the object and feeds your spirit every time you look at or touch it."

I am called to work with wood. It's as simple as that....a love affair I cherish with my whole heart.

Finished

i finished this piece today

instead of burning and sanding

i used my razortip wood burner

to add shadows

i've got a new project in mind

but won't be able to get started 

for another week

i'm looking forward to

experimenting with some

coloring and surface design

on wood

Spirit in the Wood

my first attempt at carving a wood spirit

with my new foredom rotary carver.

not 100% happy with it....pretty flat and

lifeless.

i've been wanting to try out my new toy

but when i go several days without sleep

i stay away from power tools.

only managed to nick my thumb and leg

all in all i think that's a good beginning.

Wood Spirit

yesterday was the first day i played

with my chainsaw after a three week

lay about waiting for my broken toes

to heal. this is the first face i've ever

carved...trying for a wood spirit. i was

just happy to be able to be outside

working....and walking!