[Woodcarver] "Free Spirit" relief carving - Thanks and more information

[Alex Bisso]

This post is to say Thank You for all of the nice comments about my relief carving and to answer some questions asked, to give a bit more information about the carving and to ask a question.
  
Clive asked it the bird was done separately and added and the answer is NO.  This was all done in a solid 2" thick piece of white birch that Bill had glued up and cut out for me.  One of my first thoughts in seeing the wood was "Wow, I did not expect it to be that thick!"  Bill teaches a good process for starting at the top (after the preliminary routing) and working down through the carving in a way that allows you to accurately redraw the pattern on each layer as  you to down.  Still, it is a LOT of work - especially if you are, like I was, not used to being aggressive with the mallet and chisels - but you build confidence and get faster as you go and learn.

David asked about my wood spirits in cottonwood bark.  I have not used any patterns and most are just made up as I go.  for some reason, I usually start with the nose and go from there.  Sometimes I use photos for reference for parts of the carving.  For example, I like the way the hair flowed on a wood spirit I saw on the net and tried to do the hair like that when doing the Red Spirit.  On Stache (just added) I wanted to do a different mouth/moustache from the normal triangle/hole on spirits and did one similar to my in-the-round mountain man carving.  I do usually look at either carvings I have done or photos of my or other carvers carvings for ideas when I am doing one.  I find it does help to look and pictures and it helps more to look at another carving.  It seems like I have little variety of spirits in my own head and I have to look elsewhere for ideas to get any variety - wish I were more versatile and creative - and productive like some of you guys/gals.  I posted photos of two additional wood spirits in bark in my bark carvings album at:
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=abisso&x=19&y=15

I wonder how some others have interpreted the carving "Free Spirit" and would like to hear from you on that.  Actually it began with wanting to do some of Bill's lettering in a carving for my sister who does prison ministry and the phrase "Set the Captives Free" was the first thing decided.  I searched my head and the net for ideas for a visual to go with it for a long time - looked and photos of prison cells that various Saints were held in, etc. but could not seem to find anything that I liked or thought would work well.  Then early one morning I awoke with a mental picture of doves being released from bird cages and the idea of them representing the spirits of prisoners being set free - and that was it.  What was your interpretation?

Now my question.  Bill was kind enough to let me copy some of his patterns and I want to do more of the relief carving.  I really liked working in the white birch but have searched the Billings area and none is available.  However, one place has a good supply of Yellow birch.  Bill and others, what is your opinion of that for relief carving?  I think I can also get 2" thick cherry here.  What else is very good for relief?

Thanks,

ALEX
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