[Fred Zavadil]

Deborah,
this is a beautiful carving. It is not always easy to capture the depth in relief carving but you managed to do it very well.
Fred

[chuckt]

I saw the movie and I love your relief of that village. Sorry if my comment lead everyone to a different interpretation. I STILL want to live there - though without the Vampires! ;-)

I just have a long term LOVE for crooked architecture, rustic furniture, and what is often referred to as Storybook Architecture - both "good and peaceful" and "evil or foreboding".

In any case - I think you've done a fabulous job with it. Everyone will see in your artwork what they want to see - through their own experiential filters. Kind of like when people interpreted Sting singing "Every breath you take . . . " as a love song, when in fact his intent was an obsessive stalker type of thought. I find images and artwork to be a sort of Rorschach (sp?) test where each persons interpretation sometimes says more about who they are than about the artists intent.

!
ChuckT

[dmatias]

ChuckT;

Thanks for the input. I sometimes look at the carving and don't see the vampire village but a quaint place and other times I remember what I was carving. But either way it was a real challenge to carve as it is only my third relief and about my 9th carving in total. The dolphins I posted are my eighth carving as I started them before this one.

Anyway thanks for all the input I am getting and I will continue to post pictures of all my carvings as they become completed.

[jamesfa]

Hey dmatis- your 8th & 9th carvings are really terrific,
will i be able to see them in person at the carving show in Oct.

Frank

[dmatias]

This one I hope to have finished for the show. The dolphins I don't know. Hope to see your there.

[woodtrapper]

Deborah,I guess I do not have to be a relief carver to say that took some time.I think that a little wood burning to highlight some areas and a clear sealer would show off your work.What ever you decide to do I am sure nobody will be disapointed.How did you go about picking the scene to start or do you have a photograpgic memory.Loved it and courious.Davy

[dmatias]

Hi Davy;

I fell in love with the village while watching the movie Van Helsing. Then when we got the DVD there were artists sketches in the extras. I took that and blew it up to 13X30. This is the finished product with some minor alternations. I was going to wood burn most of it but then once I finished the fine detail work, I guess I was just tired of looking at it. I still wonder if I should do some burning on it but haven't decided yet. I kind of like the way all the shadows do it for me. Thanks for your kind words.

[Myron Compton]

Fantastic!! That's beautiful. It looks like it must be 6" deep....Thanks for showing.....Myron

[santagibbs]

Beautiful work Deborah, I wouldn't do anything more to it, but put your final finsh on it.. I still go for a story book Village.. Thank's for showing it.. Charlotte