I'm back ! I think ?

Its been a few years since my last blog. I didn't realise it was still available to see or in fact to be signed into. (amazing long term memory of password). I will endeavour to remember also how to upload pictures and stuff. I've been busy since last time and have plenty of carvings to show. Perhaps this time I may stick at it as a sort of diary or tracker of time as much as anything else.

Holly cross in the church of the Holy cross

In May this year I put the first Holly cross into the church of the Holy cross in Crediton for their annual flower festival.It stood there for a week in the lady chapel,accompanied by a beautiful white floral display put together by Elaine Stanwick.The video is not great,I just took it on our digital camera but i did manage to upload it which was great.Not got much time now but will update properly soon.

Settling in

The new owners of this oak settle seemed pleased with the likeness to their big tom cat carved on the top. I was lucky to get some lovely wide boards full of interesting patternation and grain.

It seemed to settle in well with the oak floor boards and lime plastered walls

The return of WoodArtWords

Well I did it again ,nearly a year passed since the last post.The swallows that were back then have flown away and come back again and as usual are nesting in the corner of the workshop.I have been really busy and created quite a lot in the missing months and also finally got some images of pieces that were sold over the last couple of years.Now I'm back and the computer seems to be working well (touch wood) I shall try and post at least once a week.Anyway I have just uploaded a load of pictures .Here they are.

A green man in oak,you can tell it was a while ago by the tidy state of the workshop.

An unfortunatly sideways six foot tall,spalted holly cross finished with linseed oil.

A punk I was commisioned to carve,below unoiled above oiled,carved in holly.

The first of two holly thrones I made using the bigger planks that I had .The disc in the front is carved in apple wood and set in.

I left traces of the bark on the front of the legs and the sides of the back,to add texture and show the nature of the wood and how it was cut.

You can almost picture how the plank was a slice of the tree and get an idea of the size of it.

I love the paleness of this particular batch of holly wood cured excellently for years to maintain the whiteness by a good friend of mine.

This particular throne was made for an exhibitiopn I did with Doug Fitch .It sat at the opposite end of of a huge dining table to the large oak throne below.

The back of the afore mentioned oak throne.

Detail of oak throne .The hares are carved in holly and set in to the oak.

Oak throne carried out to the farmyard to be photographed (cheers for the help Doug,oh and hows your back ?)

Close up of AvocetI was asked to carve on the second holly throne I was commisioned to make.

Detail of swallows in applewood set into the front of the same piece

Holly throne in its new home

A beautiful place with lovely owners who kindly allowed me back to take these shots.

One from lowdown showing curves nicely and construction.

The sideways spalted holly cross from earlier,this time the right way up,although actually lying down in hay.

The first holly cross I made from the same lovely white batch of holly as the two thrones above.From the 5th of June it will be in Crediton church for the week of the flower festival
where it will be displayed in the lady chapel with a floral display.I am thrilled about this as its first public outing .Not only is Crediton church the original cathedral site before Exeter was chosen as more suitable, and very busy during the festival,but also on the saint micheal ley line and called the church of the holy cross.Seems the perfect place for the holly cross.

A woodland scene on a big Oak throne for a woodland classroom,in memory of Mr Evans. The Back

The front

More pics, poems, carvings,(woodartwords) soon .

kernow and back

swallows in and out ,with the chickens squirrels rats mice various other little lovelies.Squirrels have turned from cute little chip and dales full of frollicking and gentle mischief ,to thiefs and vandals birds shit on stuff occasionally and things scurry sometimes in the shadows or sing startling me from wires above and to the left or right,I love it! its so real keeps me on my toes and keeps me amused.

Took a cupboard to kernow(Cornwall) at the weekend .I t looks lovely where it is now,surrounded by many old and beautiful things .Once again I have been lucky in that it has gone to some lovely people and a lovely place .If i've gtot it right there should be some pics some from the workshop and some where it is now.Next thing is a bench with a pike (fish) carved on it but thats a story for another day.

How time flew

Well ,the swallows did well,raised to the sounds of reggae and folk and numerous sawings and hammerings they thrived,although I think the parents struggled to find lots of food in the cool weather they are enjoying now a bounty of flying insects as things warm up.They still fly in and out and sit in occasionallyand the other day I held one that had flown against the window and was flustered,I took it to the door and of it flew.

I am just finishing a piece of furniture for someone that I will photograph when finished and along with some other pieces I have not photographed yet(the 2 holly chairs and some carving) will put them on to see.

I have been busy in the garden at home and for the first since we've been here (12 years)we have a bench behind a tree at the end of the garden,with views across the rolling hills to Dartmoor in the distance .It was strange the first night we sat to watch the sun set How different the view we see every day is from this point .I think it's cos usually the garden is in the forground of the scene and when sitting here it is behind it's like on the edge.I love it and imagine lots of happy times sitt ing there in the future (the gods willing)

Car problems have been a theme of the last couple of months and a new (old) one is on the cards .It has been a worry driving around wondering if destinations will be reached or not.

I was joking with my lovely old neighbour ken about giving him a ride in the new car as the old one is too tatty for him,he came back with one of his great sayings,he said,"Paul I'd rather ride third class then walk first class".Once someone asked him why he had no lawn,only vegatables in his gardens(mostly spuds) He replied"I cant eat grass"