My next Escher carving project

[pallin]

Hi Carvers, the thumbnail below is my next relief carving project. It is a horse tessellation by M.C.Escher. I may do it as I did "Sky & Water I" (see Carver Galleries) by building up the starting blank out of black walnut and basswood. I have also considered wrapping the design around a cylindrical piece. What are your suggestions?

horses.jpg

[North Wind]

How about laminating a light and dark wood and doing one in high releif and the other in low?

[Jim OH]

Hi Phil,
Seems like the technique that Escher used was explained in an article by Marv Kaiseratt in one of the woodcarving magazines. Marv made up his own design and carved it first in a block and then in a sphere which placed at last years Woodcarver's Congress. If ya can find the article you might want to create your own pattern and come up with your own Escher inspired Allin project. Just a thought.
Jim OH

[pallin]

After many months, I have gotten started on this project. Here are the first cuts. It is butternut, 2.5" x 4" x 12". The horse tesselation will get deeper and more separated toward the top of the piece, with a couple of "in-the-round" winged horses at the top. The light and dark horses will separate like the birds & fish do in my avatar.

Horses.jpg

[BobD]

I've always been fascinated by your work, Phil! It's not easy to translate Escher into a woodcarving!

Bob

[Claude]

Phil:
How did you do the two woods in the Sea and Sky carving? Intarsia? Cut the boards on a flat angle and glue together?

Claude

[pallin]

Claude: The background boards (black walnut & basswood) were glued up with simple butt joints. The figures were band-sawed and glued on the background, then carved in place.

[Claude]

Thanks, Phil!

[pallin]

The horse tesselation on the first panel is now outlined with stop cuts. I decided not to have half-horses rising out of the base, so I textured the background below the lowest full horses. This will continue around the four sides.

Horses1.jpg

At the upper row of horses I plan to bend the figures around the corner so the carving above that point will be oval. The remaining horse figures will gradually squeeze out the space between until only two full, in-the-round figures are at the top. Note: this photo shows only about half of the full height of the piece.

[Sharon of the Dell]

Phil, very interesting project! can't wait to see how it progresses! Nice work!