[Colin_Partridge]

Hi gang,
Just an update yesterday was fathers day so I took the day off. Today I was back on site temperature still in the 80's pretty hot out there now there is no shade left on the tree. I stained the two carvings I did before with the first coat of Sikkens and started the third carving. Here are some pictures of the roughed out carving. The hole for his mouth was there I just imcorperated it into the carving. This guy is about nine feet tall. I will be back on site in the morning unless we get the thunderstorms that are forecast and finish up this guy and start on carving #4. Funny thing when I was carving out the mouth all of a sudden the sawdust turned crimson red. For a moment I thought there must have been a racoons nest in the tree and I had cut through a racoon. Upon investigation I realized that the center of the tree was bright red wood. Never seen anything that red it was literally blood red.
Here are some pictures of progress so far.
Colin

[Ron Davidson]

I'm just glad it wasn't blood especially your's
Ron

[sludgeguy]

Greetings Colin,

Very impressive tree, and rough in.
I've never found any wood with such an unusual coloration.

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to the posts as you go on the carving.

Doug

[workinforwood]

Looking good to me, as usual. Doesn't say what the tree is, I'm guessing it's a willow by looking at the bark. Must have a stain in it similar to Box Elder..which I guess the tree could be that, but I haven't seen a Box Elder with such burly figure, although the bark is similar.

[Colin_Partridge]

Jeff the tree is a Manitoba Maple really gnarly with burls an bump and crevises all over it. The stain in the middle is similar to the box wood elder I have seen only the red was much brighter actually blood red. This tree is my biggest challenge so far mainly because of all the inperfections in it. You really have to study the tree to see where the faces are to be placed. I roughed out the fourth face today a little and will post it tomorrow. Then it is on to the last face and the customer wants a female woodspirit so my work is cut out for me.

[knothole]

Looking real good Colin I can`t wait to see the finished work, I really like your style...Bruce

[workinforwood]

Looks to me like you just used up the female tree. The tree I see up above already has a nice natural cup size. Could have put the face above that and gave her a mermaid tail. You are the master...but it's something to think about some other time.

[squbrigg]

That's an impressive piece of work Colin, but I'm glad it's you and not me tackling it! The trunk has so much character, it will make a great background to your spirits and add mystry to them even more. That trunk no doubt contains an interesting spirit of it's own! Well done son.

Bob