[wade clark]

All these Folks know what they're talking about! Can hardly wait to see the finished piece! Keep us posted. Good work!
Wade

[GaryMc]

Great Start Dylan, Where'd ya get the Birch in Alabama??
GaryMc

[Colin_Partridge]

Dylan that is a beautiful carving you have so much depth to it. I also am looking forward to seeing its progress dont wait until its finished let us see it as you go.
Colin

[Lightningbolt]

Dylan: At first I thought that your scene in the birch wood had a "stretched" look to it and then I began to put things into perspective and have since determined that my "illusion" must only have been the effects created by a fine artist! I finally determined this reality by looking at everything else in your picture other than the carving, like the electrical outlet and your carving knives which all appeared normal and "unstretched".

Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... now that I've studied it some more, perhaps this effect was caused from taking the picture from a downward angle instead of shooting the picture "straight-on"?? If that is so then I really like the way that this angle plays on my brain when it's trying to process the art.

And perhaps, I'm reading way too far into this but that's the way that all of my college art professor's screwed up my brain (maybe in a good way though) and I just believe that all art (even a doodle) is a communication that has meaning and must be understood even when the artist states no intended meaning.

On another level the picture is so balanced with trees at several different depths and I'm drawn to the barn at this point in the carving but that might change as the carving progresses. Before it's done I might just wanna bypass the barn and run full-blast into that grove of trees to the left of the barn.

Looking very good. Thanks for posting!!

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Originally Posted by Lightningbolt

Dylan: At first I thought that your scene in the birch wood had a "stretched" look to it and then I began to put things into perspective and have since determined that my "illusion" must only have been the effects created by a fine artist! I finally determined this reality by looking at everything else in your picture other than the carving, like the electrical outlet and your carving knives which all appeared normal and "unstretched".

Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... now that I've studied it some more, perhaps this effect was caused from taking the picture from a downward angle instead of shooting the picture "straight-on"?? If that is so then I really like the way that this angle plays on my brain when it's trying to process the art.

And perhaps, I'm reading way too far into this but that's the way that all of my college art professor's screwed up my brain (maybe in a good way though) and I just believe that all art (even a doodle) is a communication that has meaning and must be understood even when the artist states no intended meaning.

On another level the picture is so balanced with trees at several different depths and I'm drawn to the barn at this point in the carving but that might change as the carving progresses. Before it's done I might just wanna bypass the barn and run full-blast into that grove of trees to the left of the barn.

Looking very good. Thanks for posting!!

Have you considered glasses? lol

[mwilleson]

Very nice! Really like how the trees flow in the piece.

from a non-relief carver - How did you achieve the depth? Is that all with hand tools or is there a router involved?

[Dylan]

Yes, Harley it's a comission. It will end up as a stove hood.

GaryMc, I got the birch from Alabama Hardwoods Inc. in Thorsby north of Clanton.

Dave, I took the pictures at an angle because the finished piece will, as a stove hood, be at an angle. It's always hard when doing wide relief carving to keep it from looking like your seeing it through a fish eye lens.

mwilleson, for the roughing out this time I used some large power carving bits but almost all the rest of the work is done with hand tools. I use a ruler a lot to make sure that I don't go to deep.

Thank you all for kind comments. Here's another picture. I've started rounding everything and undercuting.

Dylan

[GILLY]

looking better and better. I love carving birch, it holds detail well and, I find, the grain is easy to keep track of. Whoever is getting this when done is very fortunate, makes me kinda envious....he he he

[whitecree]

Looking good. May I have it when you're done?

[carver6]

Dylan,
You most nearly gave me a heart attack in your last post. When I first read it, I thought you had mistyped the word wood and had written hood. I couldn't imagine, why on earth, a carving that nice would be destined to be burned in the stove. Then my pore old brain figured out it was going to be a stove HOOD made out of WOOD. At any rate, you're doing an excellent job. Keep it up!!!
Garon