A spot of wood spirit carving

[Biker]

Hiya. Ever seen those wood spirit carvings, mostly of old wizards faces? Well I like 'em but the thought of some wizened incontinent beardy bloke on my walking staff just didn't appeal to me, besides my walking staff isn't something that strikes me a being "Male". Takes a confident man to admit that I suppose.

So with these thoughts in mind and some carving chisels I set to yesterday on my workbench.

This was the basic design I was after, a Lady of the lake-type ethereal woman. Bit like a Dryad.

Basic design seemed fine so I got chiselling, but found the face too long. Sorted that out easily, was glad it was too long and not too short, would have thrown the whole thing out of proportion

Anyway after losing myself in concentration I forgot to take any more pictures until it was done. D'oh!

So here it is completed and after having one coat of linseed oil, six more to go.

And another for scale. It turned out just as I had hoped it would. I did cheat a bit and used a soldering iron to accentuate the eyelashes and lip line.

There's something not quite right about her nose but I can live with it as is. I like her just fine.

And lastly this is me in action with it two weeks ago on a hike with Alison and her Dad. That twisted thing on the left of the pic is the staff ... not that twisted thing on the right, that's me!

Thanks for viewing.

 

[Gill]

I really like that buddy very nice.

 

[g4ghb]

Nice - I can see the threads now........ 'The adventures of Wanda the Walking staff'

 

[Andy2112]

Nice work Biker.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Thats a spanking staff! nice work dude.

 

[Beardy Adam]

Good work there bike. I love the staff, very nice.

 

[Toddy]

That's cool I like that kind of personalised detail and it just adds to a beauty of a staff

Have you seen the carving wood spirits book by Joyce Buchanan ?

cheers,
M

 

[stovie]

Neat work Biker...Is it me or has BB gone 3D...

 

[JonathanD]

Excellent work.

 

[Biker]

Whoa thanks for the rapid feedback! Glad you liked it.

Toddy. No I haven't seen that book you mentioned. I just had the idea to give it a go with my own design. Just ran a google image search for it and it turned up some amazing results!

Southey it's a walking staff, not a spanking staff. A spanking staff looks more like a paddle uhhh ....apparently. :togo:

Stovie. BB isn't 3D, she's more like a 36C

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I just clocked the other woodspirit carving thread and feel very much like a Johhny-come-lately.

So many threads so little time >sigh<

 

[shaggystu]

i like that a lot and i know what you mean about the sex of a woodspirit, they do always seem to be male. IMHO if trees can be thought to have a gender then very few of them would be male.

cheers

stuart

 

[Biker]

i like that a lot and i know what you mean about the sex of a woodspirit, they do always seem to be male. IMHO if trees can be thought to have a gender then very few of them would be male.

cheers

stuart

Funny you should mention that. I seem to anthropomorphize things (yes, big word for a Monday afternoon, sorry) Trees, with a few exceptions, are always male to me, at least old ones. The Lord of the Rings films with Treebeard just confirmed it (haven't read the book). A Weeping willow and silver birch are feminine though.
Certain places I've visitied have had a female aspect about them. St Nectan's Glen in Cornwall, as well as Dragon's Cove just up the road in Tintagel, both felt very feminine to me. Whereas Glastonbury Tor felt very male (The phallic symbol notwithstanding) Certain rocks seems feminine and yet others feel masculine. Still water of a lake seems more female, but then the sea seems male to me. A mountain is male, a meadow female.

I'll get my coat.

Sitting back now waiting for the hoots of derision and shower of rotton fruit and veggies.

 

[g4ghb]

witch, witch! - burn him!

 

[g4ghb]

Know what you mean though mate!

 

[John Fenna]

Certain places I've visitied have had a female aspect about them. St Nectan's Glen in Cornwall, as well as Dragon's Cove just up the road in Tintagel, both felt very feminine to me. Whereas Glastonbury Tor felt very male (The phallic symbol notwithstanding) Certain rocks seems feminine and yet others feel masculine. Still water of a lake seems more female, but then the sea seems male to me. A mountain is male, a meadow female.

I'll get my coat.

Sitting back now waiting for the hoots of derision and shower of rotton fruit and veggies.

All natural things have a male or female aspect - rocks, trees etc - but even "made" things can have a character/spirit of their own - a bloke returned a knife he had bought off me as its Spirit did not like him...I aint joking, and the bloke did not even want his cash back, just wanted away from the knife ........

 

[Melonfish]

Very nice biker! can i ask what tools you used to do that m8?
i'm tempted to give that a go now

 

[dr jones]

nice work fella !!

 

[michiel]

Is there no end to your skills?

 

[mat mac]

That is wicked ive always struggled carving a womans face cos they have much softer lines nice work.

 

[Gailainne]

Funny you should mention that. I seem to anthropomorphize things (yes, big word for a Monday afternoon, sorry) Trees, with a few exceptions, are always male to me, at least old ones. The Lord of the Rings films with Treebeard just confirmed it (haven't read the book). A Weeping willow and silver birch are feminine though.
Certain places I've visitied have had a female aspect about them. St Nectan's Glen in Cornwall, as well as Dragon's Cove just up the road in Tintagel, both felt very feminine to me. Whereas Glastonbury Tor felt very male (The phallic symbol notwithstanding) Certain rocks seems feminine and yet others feel masculine. Still water of a lake seems more female, but then the sea seems male to me. A mountain is male, a meadow female.

I'll get my coat.

Sitting back now waiting for the hoots of derision and shower of rotton fruit and veggies.

Non from me, quite agree. Lovely carving, on a really nice staff, is that natural? (I've seen that effect from vines) enhanced or carved? BTW why are her eyes closed? just wondering, accident or design?