[mark yundt]

Seems to be a rash of tree carvings lately! My next job that I mentioned finally came in yesterday.These are the kitchen cabinets to go on each side of a double wide Sub Zero ref./freezer and across the top.Here they're laying on their back. My job is to carve trees going up each side (1 ft wide) and across the top in an arch.This carving will end up a bit over 9 ft high and 10 ft wide (across the top branches) and wrap around the upper sides of the cabinets.I'll glue it up out of Cherry.There are also trees to be carved to go on the sink base cabinets (sketch on floor) Other things the clients added are butterflies on the branches and the clients initials carved in a heart to appear on the right side trunk.I included a photo I did a few yrs ago that was done in wormy chestnut for a client in N.Y.I also carved the brackets you see as well as his rangehood,,,,this job will end up in California.

[gene messer]

Mark .. What a beautiful job you did on those cabinets ... Ia'm amazed at your skills ...

I really like the way you didnt just carve the trees to make them look like their in the wood .. but you made it look like the trees are growing out of the cabinets into then ceiling ... now that's art ...

absolutely beautiful job Mark .... Ia'm impressed ...

please show your finished work on these new piece's .. Iam sure it will be wonderful ..

Gene

[Joy]

Beautiful work! But how would you ever keep it clean in a kitchen? It seems that every surface in my kitchen COLLECTS dust. Oh well, maybe they don't need to cook in their beautiful kitchen. (Or is it just a bar area?)

[mark yundt]

Thanks Gene and Joy.Hope this one is as much fun to do,though the Cherry will be a bit tougher to carve. Started the glue up this A.M.,,that's alot of glue and wood.But yes,,I'll show it when done if you like.The kitchen pictured is a fully functional kitchen,complete with kids!You should see the rest of it..With the finishes used you just wipe them down like any other cabinet.I've included a few pics to give you an idea of this one. The "Dutch door" with the path leading through the woods is all hand painted to look like an open door all faux painted,,the reality is it's a perfectly flat door. The cabinets are painted with herbs and the flowers of each of the family members month of birth.And the skylight is one of 4 different panels painted into recesses in the ceiling,the one over the trees and the island units have leaves blowing through the sky and birds flying through.I thought it was pretty neat and you might like to see it.Many of the kitchens ( and homes) I get into are can become quite staggering ($$$) initially,,but they're fun to do.

[Joy]

I love that skylight idea. What a way to create a bright, airy room.

[mark yundt]

Gene,,not only do the trees end up in the skylight over them,,the bases of the trees flare out slightly as "roots" in the floor like they grew right out of it. There are also custom made ceramic leaves that are inlaid into the tiles looking like they fell from the tree and laying on the floor.I think it was a pretty well thought out presentation.

[gene messer]

Mark .. I knew the pictures didnt do the work justice .. It is a beautiful scene ..

Mark .. Iam certainly no expert on this type of carving .. but I have seen leaves and such carved in cabinets that look just like that .. their carved in the wood .. now there's nothing wrong with that .. it's beautiful .. but yours flow out of the wood .. not just are they carved in the wood .. and that's the true sign of a artist in your field ..

Now I know there have been many discussions concerning , who is a artist or a master or whatever on this forum .. I myself am a very simple small flat plane carver who isnt even very good .. but I study the european flat plane carvers of long ago and see people like Emil Janel and C.O. Trygg and are amazed at that special skill they had in carving ..

Now Mark I rarely blow smoke just to inflate a person's head .. although I do try to find good things in all people's carving's .. But I believe there are certain people who have a artistic talent that separate's most of us who carve for fun or for a hobby ... Now that's not a bad thing .. because we all serve a good purpose in life .. but just like many of the wonderful figure's carvers of long ago who had that special eye for creating the extra ordinary .. I believe you have that in your work in what I have seen of it ..

Your work is very special and you have a eye and a talent for the extra ordinary ... I know there are alot of carvers doing the same thing in this world .. but I see it in your work .. especially after seeing your last post of the church carving's in the cathedral .. Absolutely beautiful work ..

I for one believe there are special gifts given by our Lord to certain persons in specific fields of art .. And i believe you have been given that special gift in your carving field .. Not to be used to inflate our egos .. but to create beautiful creations like you did in that church .. Period ..

Our job as carvers are to look upon this kind of work as beauty and not be envious of it .. but to apprecaite all carvers with these special God given gift's and encourage their talents .. Weather we consider them a master or not is not the question ... It is can we all appreciate the beauty and talent that God sometimes gives to certain people so that we all might benefit from their skills ....

I for one believe we all can .. Look at what God does with nature alone to give us beauty .. and I know we all are astounded at that .. Why cant he do the same for a indivual ... He can and does ...

Sorry for the Book

God Bless

Gene

[mark yundt]

Gene,,,I'm not really sure what to say besides THANK YOU! That seems so pathetic after what you said. You are absolutely right,,there are many carvers out there that can carve our socks off,,mine,yours,,anyones.THAT TO ME IS NOT THE POINT.I'm no "expert" on any carving either.Never was ,,never will be.I do what I do,,you do what you do,,neither is better or worse,,it REALLY is all the same.To me it's only a matter of scale.Some carve one leaf,,I'll carve the same leaf a hundred times,,so what? I feel at the start the exact same way a new carver feels,,how am I gonna pull this off,,what will I do next,,can I find in the wood what I want? What the customer wants?
This to me is very important because I think I am for the most part misunderstood as to how I approach carving and my thoughts about it,and what I look for,and where I want my carving to go.Was I "blessed" with some sort of talent,,maybe,,but I'm not so sure.Michelangelo was told basically the same thing,(NO,,I'm certainly no Master as he was,,not compairing myself to HIM),but his response was "well if you only knew how many times I've done this,,and spent countless hours and nights doing this,,you wouldn't be so surprised" I think he's absolutely right.A "natural" eye can be learned.Skills can be honed and refined through trial and error,,especially error.I really don't think it's magic,,or some gift even.If anyone carved 12 -16 hrs a day,,at most times 7 days a week,,and many times 24 hrs straight, 2 vacations in 15 yrs ,I'd hope something would sink in,,more than just a gift,,a gift you just take,,this took work and time..Also I think what changes carvings dramatically is not doing them for myself,,but as a commission.Why? Think about it .If I carved as I did with my first birds ,,for me,,for fun,,and eventually if I sold one ..so much the better,,great! But there was no pressure.If you play golf,,pool,,darts,,whatever for fun,,now put some money on it,,what changes? Your attention.Now,,if you do this not just for yourself,and make a couple of bucks,but someone else is paying you to do it,and you have the pressure to please them NOW what happens to your attention,your details,your design? You have now placed yourself in a pressure cooker if you intend to do good work,get paid decent prices,and make someone you don't really know happy with what you create for them,,,well.Many aren't comfortable there,too many variables,Naw,,I just carve for myself ,,what makes me happy.That's fine,,but the incentive isn't the same,,,little or no pressure.I chose pressure.Trial by fire.Pressure and heat makes lumps of coal into diamonds..pressure changes things.I make lunch for myself,,no big deal,,a baloney sandwich..If I cook for my family,,well,,everything changes,,the choice of meats,,freshest vegtables,the wine I choose,,it's not for me anymore,,it's for someone else,,and it has to be the best I can do,,and to me,,it's never enough,,I always feel I fall short.Thats why I can't keep a carving around for more than a day or so,,or hang on to any ribbons I won,the pressure's not the same,That's what I DID,,not what I'm DOING,,,or what I plan to DO.Commissions forced that out of me from the very first time I picked up a chisel and put it to wood,,it was a commission from the get go,I've never carved just for me,because it has nothing to do with me,but everything to do with carving.Don't know if this makes any sense,,or if it's even a good response to your statements,but it's me.This is where I'm comming from in regards to what I happen to do.No better,,no worse,,just trying to do the best carvings I can,,with whatever talents I have or can hone,,share whatever I can,and content in the fact that the carvings can always be better,cleaner,,sharper,,SOMETHING,,,I just know I'll never be satisfied,,and just maybe that's a good thing for me,,but I am glad to know you enjoy my carvings.There is no reason for anyone ,as you say,to be envious of anyone elses work..It just doesn't apply,,doesn't make any sense to me,this is just what price I'm willing to pay to play. Don't know where THIS book came from,,sorry,,but I guess some things have just been on my mind lately...Thank you again. Mark

[mark yundt]

No books today,,just an update on the glue up.This ones turning out not to need coins for reference scale but a yard stick,,this is going to be one big heavy piece! The trunks (3 pcs)are done as are the root sections (10 pcs incl.the trunk).The two trunks are separate from the arched branch section,,if I did it as one I'd never be able to move it! also makes it easier to transport.I have hidden 1/2 inch bolts to fasten it all together that are accessible by reaching around inside the open cabinet.So far it's 5 1/2 inches thick and I'll add another layer yet today on top of what's pictured here,(this is a dry fit in this photo)as well as add another 2 feet to it's width (currently 8 ft wide X 9' 3" tall) I also have the blocks prepped for the trees that go onto the sink base.My planer,jointer and tablesaw have been getting a work out.Lets see what day 4 will bring.

[mark yundt]

At the request of other carvers I decided against my better judgement to post some updates of this piece.The glue up is done. Just starting to lay out the branches,leaves and butterflies ( customer request).More form will happen as these parts evolve.