Live cherry tree carving

[Colin-Partridge]

Yes me again, I know what you are saying does this guy do nothing but carve? Yes you are right has become a full time job. Here is a carving I have started in a live cherry tree. The tree is an ormamental Japanese Cherry they were a gift to the park in 1954 by the Japanese Community. They are all 50+ years old now and are all just about finished. Everyone of them are are hollow. As you can see by the pictures I am having one heck of a job carving them I keep hitting the hollow part. What I am trying to do with this one is to make the beard flow all the way to the roots on the right side of the tree. I wont be working tomorrow I have to get caught up on two other commissions plus the little lady has a bunch of honey do's for me.
Colin

[Kenny_S]

You are doing great Colin. Fantastic piece.

[Ashbys]

Well Done Colin. I like him.

Ash

[squbrigg]

Great work Colin, how many trees in all in the park are you carving? Beautiful job on this one!

Bob

[Irishman]

Its good to keep busy and it sounds like you are. From your postings, it appears that you have carved spirits in a variety of wood types. I have put a WS in a choke cherry before (not sure of its proper name) and all I remember is how hard the wood was.
Patrick

[Callynne]

Looks great Colin! I was wondering, do you ever sleep?? Deborah

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Nice work Colin. Say....do you have any photos of one of your works on a live tree that has scabbed over or weathered for a few years? Would love to see the effect. Thanks.

[whitecree]

Methinks I'm going to kidnap Cllin some day. The price of his ransom - a couple of WS carved into some local trees.

Are Jap cherry naturally hollow inside, or are these dead?

[Colin-Partridge]

No the Japanese Cherry tree's are not naturally hollow the bugs mostly ants live and eat the inside of the tree. These tree's are very much alive with lots of new branches but you wonder how much longer they can survive with all of the inside gone. Wonderful thing nature is.
Colin

[Krum]

I just love seeing your work on trees. Very inspiring that's for sure. We have 2 trees in my backyard that I plan on carving next year. They are dying trees and I don't want to lose the whole tree so I am only leaving a good height on the tree just to carve on. I have only carved once on a live tree. Ended up looking like a wood tick...not the Sun God I had in mind. Thanks for sharing.
Krum