Ceiling Hand Carved in Heavy Relief

I have been commissioned to design and carve an ornate ceiling for a home.   The design, which is curved and angled and flows around a ceiling soffit, is to follow a carpet that is being custom made for the room.  I mocked-up the ceiling to fit the pieces around the curves and angles so that they fit together perfectly.  Below are some pictures of my carving in progress.

Hand carving: Adding art to architecture

Hand carving is a great way to add artwork to your architecture, whether it be carved onto your front entry door or a piece of furniture or cabinetry.  These delightful drawings of wild birds perched on avocado tree and camilla bush branches will be carved in relief on the fronts of two cabinet doors in an Arts and Crafts style kitchen I am making.    

Carvings in Progress

The Quality of Life Today

I am wondering if others see a lowering of quality in just about everything or am I just getting old and cranky?  When I say everything, I really mean just about everything we purchase now.  The pencils I use in my shop are difficult to sharpen without the lead breaking and the erasers only smear, they don't erase anymore.  Milwaukee Tools were among the best.  I have several that are 30 years old and have never been in the repair shop.  Last year my 20-year old Porter Cable router died and I replaced it with a new Milwaukee router as I wanted the best tools for my shop.  Already, at just over a year old, it has been repaired twice!  The tool supplier explained they are made in China now.  The same can be said for almost everything from cars, TV sets, tools, furniture, appliances, phones, computers, and on and on.  Typically the prices on all this merchandise seems pretty good with more bells and whistles every year.  But nothing lasts and the repairs cost half the original price.  So are we getting such a good deal?  I don't think so.  

We can buy more stuff now than ever before, but we need to replace it two, three, even five times more often.  I have always preferred to buy the best even if that meant waiting longer until I could afford it, but that search is getting a little more difficult.  Beautiful and artistically-crafted furnishings, lighting, and other home improvements don't exist in most stores and good-quality craftsmanship only exists from a relatively small number or artists and craftspersons in the world today.  This lowering of standards is completely our fault.  If we continue to buy inexpensive, poor quality merchandise instead of paying more for quality, we are voting with our wallets that quality does not matter.  We perpetuate the poor quality we complain about by purchasing low-quality products over and over again.  In the end we don't receive anything of value.

This blog is not a complaint, but more a statement and observation that we are not gaining more with all this cheap stuff but losing quality in our surroundings.  I want to personally thank all the artist and craftspersons who manufacture quality products, and who add so much to our world by caring about what they do.

I did this carved entry door for a man in Japan.  I was amazed when he said he had been looking for years for someone to carve this door in Japan without success.

 

Hand carving: An addition that's worth it.

 

While there are many woodcarving hobbyists, there are few professional wood carvers.  Someone can spend years carving, practicing long hours getting skilled enough in many styles and techniques.  Yet it's not good enough to be able to simply carve out a living, so to speak.  The professional wood carver works quickly, precisely, and with feeling to reflect the style, period, and part of the world he or she is representing.

There are many machine carved panels, corbels and details that can be applied to existing or new work, but they will not necessarily match the wood, the proportions, or the style.  And they are lifeless.  Not only is it important that the  design be well done, no matter how precise, but that the life of the artist/craftsperson doing the work is expressed through the carvings.  Most of the time it is better not to include machined carvings because they will add nothing to the project.  

A simple hand-carved rosette, a bird on a branch with just a few leaves, or an entire forest scene can transform well-made but plain woodwork into something special, unique, and a piece of art to be enjoyed each time you enter the room or open a door.  

Contemporary design is one of my favorite places for carvings because of the clean plain lines.  To carve an iris or other simple shape very precisely adds an element of surprise, a contrast, and a bit of unexpected life to the object that can be quite fun and work very well.  

The next time you are thinking of having something custom made, whether it is a kitchen, office, door, or piece of furniture, consider adding some hand-carved details.  Look for an artist/craftsperson that can truly add something beautiful to your home or office, a hand carving with life.