Welcome to June...crazy weather here in the PNW. Lots of rain. We are grateful for the rain, for the lushness, the leafy privacy, and for how easy it is to pull weeds on the occasional
dry-ish days. We have trees with leaves and cottonwood snow, and our deck garden is growing lots of flower sprouts. With the exception of the peas, the veggies are slow to sprout...sigh... I have replanted the corn, zucchini, beets, and carrots. We have two zucchini plants coming and one corn stalk, although the poor thing won't be knee-high by the fourth of July. Each year, the seasons roll around and each year, they are different.
This Month's Offering
We are continuing with our theme of honoring mothers. Here, we have a doe and her fawn. Fawns are born scent-free and their dapples are the perfect camouflage. The mothers keep their babies scent free by eating the fawn's urine and droppings. That way, they can leave the fawn unattended while they graze. But, if need be, these gentle, graceful creatures would fight to the death to protect their offspring. OMG...I watched a video on YouTube. Unnerving, actually. Bambi sure is safe with his Mama. AiYiYi. Those little doe hooves know where and how to punch.
(Remember, fawns left alone are not abandoned. Don't touch them or your scent will make them visible to predators.)
Speaking of mothers and babies, I am leaving soon and driving down to Eureka, to visit my ginger-headed Sonshine. It's been a year. That is about all I can handle without hugging and being hugged by my boy. As I say to my son, "It's a Mom thing."
Meanwhile, Mr. Al is holding down the fort, taking care of the Fur Family, weeding when able, and carving like a fiend. Here is Mr. Al....
It has finally Emerged!
I have committed myself (I know...'bout time! Amiright?!,) to a new approach to my woodcarving. First, I'm further eliminating any but hand tools in my work. At least, as much as possible. I still have my bandsaw, table saw, and router that will help out as required, but I want to use them less and less.
99% of my previous work has been by hand, but now I'm really concentrating on hand tools. I'm finding that I have more control than I do with any maniacally mechanized mode of wood removal...and safer too!
This is my latest completion entitled Emergence. Incorporating an incredible photograph, used as inspiration by permission, by Izzy Edwards in the PNW, along with the Fibonacci spiral also known as the golden spiral.
Actually, a logarithmic spiral getting wider by a factor of 2 after making a quarter turn. It's fascinating really. Anyway, that energy combined with the fierce natural order of Ursus arctos horribilis, also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly gave me the inspiration for this one.
It's 'contained' in a half-frame, from black walnut dovetailed at its joint. The wood in the carving itself is from a medallion cut of a Big Leaf Maple. I wanted to leave the two sides of it live edge, again symbolizing the unrestrained tenacity of the Griz!
Another of my recent goals has been the carving exploration of all the different fruit and nut trees! I love the challenge of 'learning the wood' and its idiosyncrasies. They all have their own special personalities.
Emergence isn't posted on the site yet, but it is available. Serious inquiries may be requested by writing designer@awshadows.com
That's all for now....Happy June, Peeps! Next stop...July.