How to Choose Your Own Carving
This is a brief guide that demonstrates the process of designing and creating your carving
If you know what you want, either as a commissioned piece or a stump carving at your home, then read no further, drop me an email and I can take it from there.
If you don’t know what you want yet, then follow these simple steps:
1: Decide if you want an object, animal or other.
Objects could include: a lighthouse, castle, bird feeder, water jug, plant pot, castle, crane, windmill, basically anything.
Animals could include: those with feathers, fur or scales, or cartoon characters.
Others could include: abstract sculpture, swirling patterns, shapes, frames, or something completely different.
2: Size
If it’s a stump carving then check the size of the timber and see what fits, squirrels are good for thin stumps, owls and birds work well on a wider stump and there is no limit for a broader stump. Stump carvings are priced by the day. A simple owl can take one day, a broad stump with multiple characters (as pictured below) may take up to 10 days.
If the stump is taller than head height then a working platform will need to be set-up around the piece; depending on the size, scaffolding may be required at an additional charge.
If it is a commissioned piece then I will supply the wood, prices are typically set per vertical foot of timber, for oversize pieces the price is based on the volume of timber.
3: Design
If you are handy with a pen and paper then sketch out what you want and I will make it.
If you need some inspiration then give me a brief, for example “animals that live by the river” and I will put together some ideas. I typically create a range of different sketches and ideas to give you the best opportunity to choose the right piece for you.
Where possible I try to make use of any limbs or unions on the stump that may enhance the piece; if a prospective tree has not been felled yet, then this is the time to take a look at the limbs and what can be done with them.
It’s important to remember that there may be rotten areas inside the stump that cannot be seen until the carving begins, I can normally work around these but every tree is different.
4: Creation
With a commissioned piece I work in stages allowing the piece time to dry out slowly to minimise the effects of cracking. The more dry a piece of timber is, the more fine the level of detail that can be achieved; for this reason commissioned pieces tend to take several weeks from start to finish.
For stump carvings, it is a case of trying to achieve as much carving as possible within the time allocated, it can be a challenging process given the ground surrounding the stump and the state of the timber.
I aim always to achieve or exceed the specifications of the design, but the repair of the timber necessarily dictates what can be achieved.
I cover the surrounding area with multiple sheets to catch all the sawdust and everything is removed from site when the job is complete. Any large chunks of wood can be set aside for firewood if required.
5: Aftercare
Although some wood species are more susceptible to rot than others, all external pieces must be treated with a wood preserver and then a protective oil to increase their life.
The AFTERCARE page in the menu has specific advice on how to best protect your carving.