Emporia Sesquicentennial Spirits

[Cottonwood]

This is what has kept me busy the last little while. If anyone has had experience carving cottonwood, you will know what I mean. It is a very disagreeable wood and doesn't carve easily. Bass wood just spoils a person !!
I have carved these in recognition of the Emporia, Kansas Sesquicentennial celebration. Each of the four spirits represent a group of people that has influenced the culture of Emporia, Kansas. They include a teacher, a veteran, a rancher and a railworker. I carved them out of cottonwood purely for symbolic reasons..... in that the Cottonwood tree is the state tree of Kansas.

[Coffeeman]

Very nice job on all four pieces, also like the way you incorporated the state tree into your pieces, adds a very symbolic importance to each carving. Bill

[Joy]

Beautiful work. My favorite is the veteran

[Lynn O. Doughty]

There is just one word for those...."Fantastic". I really like the soldier with the teacher coming a close second. And tied to a certain event makes them even more unique. There is just one thing missing....a nice base to really set each of them off. Here's what I'd do and this is meant just as a suggeston:

A square block of walnut about as wide and half as tall as each figure assuming that their all the same basic size, stained really dark, maybe a simple routed edge around the top. Then to really make the heads pop use a piece of circular wooden dowel, painted flat black, to raise the head from the base so it appears suspended. Then a nice little engraved brass nameplate to explain just what they are.

Those figures belong in a State collection somewhere and you ought to give old Gov. Sebilus, or whatever her name is, a call and tell her about them! Again, Great Work!!!

[Cottonwood]

Thanks Lynn,
Here is what I have toyed around with on the spirits. I have made some latex molds and resin castings of them. I'm not satisfied with the rusults of the resin plaques. I believe I will try what you suggest.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I've tried to make some molds for resin castings but gave up. Too messy and they never seem to come out and I'm too cheap to pay to have it done.

To be honest, I think the natural finish is the way to go. The paintedfigure on the plaque looks great but as the figure is on the lower portion of the square it seems to be pulling eveything down. That's why suspending them gets them up and off the floor. This is just my opinion ... it's your carving. And, it's a great one!

[gene-messer]

Absolutely beautiful work Cottonwood .. Your faces are wonderful .. such talent ..

Thanks for sharing ..

Gene

[artolver]

Cottonwood,
...The carvings are great....but if you
know anything about cottonwood ..you
should want to the carve the bark..

art olver

[Jim OH]

Good golly, I'm beginning to think I better hide my faces in a closet! Excellent work and certainly representative of the chosen professions. Thanks for sharing these!
Jim OH

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Those look great!