essentÊrving°89

C A R V I N G A COMMONPLACE OBJECT IN H I G H R E L I F. F

Making a Model and

CHOOSING THE WOOD

Obviously a banana would not keep its shape for morÄ™ than a day or rwo once the skin was opened, so a Plasticine model was madÄ™ (Fig 8.2). Then a piece of wood was selected which would fit rhc shapc. In this casc it was dccidcd to make the carving about the same size as the original. As the purpose is to make a carving and not an exact replica of a banana it is not important to match the colour of the wood with that of the original. Indeed, by using another colour of wood it should be possible to draw attention to the shapcs morÄ™ powcrfully. If it is too likc the rcal banana vicwers may simply say, 'How clcvcr!’ and movc on, not having experienced any of the carver s excircmenr about the shapcs. The wood used here is a piece of slightly spalted applc. It might havc bccn better if the wood had bccn sound as the spalting has put straight lines into the timber. The figurÄ™ of the rest, however, is subdued and so does not givc contradictory messages to the curves of the banana. Other reasons for choosing apple were its closc-graincd tcxturc and firmness, and it was available. An open-grained piece of oak or ash, for instance, would not only have had a dis tur bing figurÄ™ but would also havc been morÄ™ difficult to handle in the thin edges. The darkness or lighrness of the wood is also important.

Light versus Dark Wood

A shape like the banana needs shadows to make it fully understood. Shadows would get lost in a dark wood such as laburnum, walnur or mahogany. Many carvers automatically choosc limÄ™. Indeed, here, it would show up shadows, have no contradictory figurÄ™ and be suitable for

Fic. 8.1 A banana with its skin arranged into a balanced composition by Howard Spiers, preparatory to caruing.

Fig 8.2 The drawn plan view with a Plasticine model front which the carver can work. Both drawing and modelling help to frx the shape in his rnind and thus speed the caroing.

the detail, but is a lustreless wood. Sycamore, which when scasoned is both hard and tough, and birch, which tends to be brittle, would have the advantage of an inner glow, a lustrous Ä…uality in the celi walls. In fact any wood, not too dark, cvcn-tcxtured. and without a strong directional pattern would do.

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