[Coffeeman]

Fantastic......I mean FANTASTIC ! I hope you can grab a final picture of the whole arrangement so we can really see how fantastic it looks....Great job, your a wonderful and talented carver. Bill

[susieq]

Wonderful work, Mark. I am struggling to come up with a compliment worthy of this work...it's hard. Just excellent!

[mark yundt]

Thank you everyone,I'm glad they went over well!.I was a bit concerned with this one. I had to recarve the one 3 times(in the same block of wood) till it suited the customer before I could carve the second one to match. I originally had it much fuller looking,,more like a real tree.They kept "pruning " it back till it ended up looking like it does now. I still think they are a bit odd looking ,though your response indicates otherwise.Part of the problem as well is they have to fit into an area 7" wide,,and these are 6 3/4",,they wanted them to fill the entire space,,that's why I think they look a bit funny,,,all squared off the way they are,,like they were grown in a rectangular glass cube or something. But hopefully once they are in place next to the sink,,it'll all look fine.
I think the designer will take some shots for me so I can see what they ,as well as the big trees look like in their final place. I might be able to see the big trees on Wed. when I deliver these to the company who is doing the finishing. As is the case with most of my work I never get to see it stained ,,finished,,or in place. Heck,,,most of the time I have no idea where it even ends up.Talk about job satisfaction.....But I am satisfied that all of you at least enjoyed them,,thanks for the support.Half the time I feel like I'm wandering in the dark,,,looks good to me,,,but,,,,,I don't count.

Just for reference I included a picture of the first trees I did,,these were in wormy Chestnut,,,I also did the range hood and the brackets and corbels in this kitchen as well..Not sure,,I might have posted this before.But since some of you were curious,,this is what some of them look like,,,and believe me,,this is rather modest as some kitchens go.I actually found this by accident in the designer kitchen and bath annual edition,,,really surprised me. I first thought,,Hey,,that looks like the ones I did,,,who copied who??? till I realized they actually were mine,,,Hah,,,what a knucklehead...

[doris]

oh, i am late due to timelag of continents... mark, the little trees are beautiful as well. i am amazed by the depth youachieved. looks like you cut "blobby" deep shapes, deeper in bottom than on top, to place the leaves on those, right ? ..i understand your concern with the squarish, but i believe that will vanish when they are in place, since you made many leaves on the borders to give the illusion as if tree goes further there. yes, i think, they will look great in place... nice to see how they will look when in place, too....boy, what some people do have as a kitchen, amazing. as thor, i probably could not cook there, since need look trees and beauty all time. ..wow, what a great job you did. now give yourself a well-done pat :-) thanks for sharing :-)

[Joy]

Terrific!!!!!!!!!!!

[slather]

Thank you for the awesome pics Mark and taking the time to show us all , that my friend helps us all!!
Al
http://picasaweb.google.com/al.hillis/WOODCARVINGSMINE

[mark yundt]

Yes Doris,,I basically cut "blobs" if you will.Once I laid out where the branches would be,,and drew in where the bulk of the leaves were to be,,I carved the whole group of leaves as one massive shape,,a "blob" as you so aptly put it. Just a large ,curving mass of wood which would end up getting carved as individual leaves. The blob itself is maybe 1/4 inch deep,,and the levels from leaf to leaf ranges from almost nothing to maybe 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch.
You are also right in your observation that the lower sections are cut much more deeply, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep. I did this to allow a more open,,spacious quality to the lower branches,,as if there is more distance between and around them...The leaf sections though are much shallower and this I think gives more of a feeling of denseness.If you look at a typical tree you will notice this same phenomenon. Open and airy around the trunk and initial branches,,and very dense where the clumps of leaves takes over. Also ,,if you look at a "typical" tree,,you will notice,,if you only LOOK AT THE MASS ..see clumps of hundreds of leaves that appear almost as if you were looking at say,,,balls of cotton ,,piled up. This is what I had in my mind as I looked at trees,,and then did the carving. First carve piles of cotton,,,then carve the leaves..and you end up with groups,,and layers of leaves.Also,,though it was more apparent in my first carving,,the leaves at the bottom of a "blob" were separated more than they were at the top of a blob. As you look at a tree you will notice this as well.They appear looser and more separated near the bottom,,and denser at the top.If they were all carved the same there would be no perspective within this blob of leaves,,they would look too symetrical,,and all would be lost.
Neat huh?,,,and you though I just did this stuff willy-nilly and whatever comes out is what it is...LOL
I have to say Doris,,you are very perseptive,,great eye you have ,,not too many details escape you. Good question as well,,sorry if I beat the answer to death.

[Jim OH]

Hi Mark,
Do you mean to say you actually plan these things out, LOL
Jim OH

[mark yundt]

HAAAAA!!! Yes I do,,,that's my story and I'm sticking to it..LOL,,LOL Sometimes I actually DO think about these things,,,Sometimes I don't,,,but somehow,,just dumb luck ,,,things seem to work out OK regardless of how smart or stupid I am at the time. A PLAN??? who needs a PLAN,,,lets just carve something and see what happens,,,I have a great ability to rationalize anything,,even if it is something dumb that I do!
That's a good one Jim,,,'ya cracked me up! Thanks!

[santagibbs]

Beautiful work Mark.. very expressive.. I wish I had your talent. Charlotte