Page 50 - Wood Review Dec 202 Full issue

WOODCARVING
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Australian Wood Review
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There is a temptation to ‘see the möbius’ active in dimension by cutting the separation early, but it’s better to get the form organised rather than deal with a lot of bulk that may affect how you see the form. At this stage you’ll need to pay close attention to your model as it is easy to go astray.
Give it time
There are a couple of what I see
as key ingredients in the art of woodcarving. One is time; give the work the time that it is requesting of you. Good work takes time. And the other is observation; look at your model, soak it in and become familiar with the design as much as
possible. I tend to saturate myself in the subject matter so that it soaks into my bones, so to speak. The more I know about the form and variation of the möbius, the more I can feel free to express through it.
Now begin
Once the möbius structure is visibly obvious to me, I feel like I’m ready to start carving. The möbius form is, for me, the underlining bones of the sculpture. I am searching out how to communicate more than the rendition of a möbius!
I have in mind a theme from the very outset and whilst the möbius is in itself
a fascinating and charming object to contemplate, it’s the theme that brings it to life and gives it meaning.
A theme might be a simple recognition of the value of water
to life with the base of the möbius being robust and water-like, and the moving expressive twist forming the gentle impression of a leaf.
This is where I’m at my slowest in terms of carving. I want to be able to react to how the form is feeling and make subtle changes as I go. Again observation and a willingness to surrender time prove to be important ingredients.