[Woodcarver] Carving from one piece of wood

[Ivan Whillock]

>> When someone says that they carved their caricature scene from one piece
of basswood.  Does that mean that the design was drawn on the basswood and
everything was carved from the one block or are pieces cut off the one
block, carved and then reassembled?  Does my question make sense or am I
just confused?<<

Many sculptors in wood--caricaturists, abstractionists,
representationalists--choose to carve their works from a single block of
wood.  It gives them a particular challenge--creating a design that
challenges the material but still respects it.  A block of wood is a solid
mass.  One would be prone to carve solid objects from it.  You will notice
that in Marv Kaisersatt's work, however,  he challenges that property of
wood and creates an airiness--interesting and varied openings between the
figures.  But also in respecting the material, you will notice that he is
also aware of the fragility of cross grain and therefore ties most of the
fragile elements to a stronger element.  This working a material against its
original from is a challenge many sculptors enjoy.  Marv also works in many
different levels and tiers, again to create drama and visual interest--to
move the carving out of its original "block" shape.  To take individual
pieces of wood, carve and assemble them into a scene--for some--takes part
of  the fun and challenge out of it, but it also presents a different visual
effect. (All that is not to imply that there aren't  many  fine "assembled"
carvings as well,)

For realistic carvers, a challenge is to "take the figure out of the block."
Here is what that means:  A block of wood has four sides.  There is a
tendency to carve the figure so that the planes of the body are pretty much
parallel to those four sides.  (This is somewhat aided by the fact that a
bandsaw creates a cutout with all of the sides parallel--because, of course,
the blade is a 90 degree angle to the table top.)  A figure that is "out of
the block" does not have the planes of the body parallel to the original
block of wood.  The head is turned, the shoulders are twisted, the hips out
of parallel with the shoulders, etc.  This creates movement in the figure
and avoids the tendency for blockiness .  (In many of my figure carvings,  I
try to have NONE of the planes of the figure parallel to the original block
of wood.  It's a little fettish on my part, based on my sculpture training,
but one of the challenges I present to myself, and I think my "out of the
block" carvings are just more interesting to look at than my "still in the
block" carvings.)

There are aesthetic advantages to a carving from a single block.  The
transition from one element to the other is smooth because the forms are
integrated.  The grain, too, can add to the effect.  From a single block the
grain is continuous, particularly valuable in unpainted works.

A little wndy, but I hope this addresses artistic issues related to carving
from a single block of wood.

Ivan Whillock