Lorene Andrews - Sculptures & Carvings

Pegasus Ornament - This unit has three pieces of butternut with the wings carved separately and then carved to fit the shoulder area of the horse. They are glued in place and finished with lacquer. Mythology animals with wings have always fascinated me. I had to develop a technique to find the center of gravity so the winged-horse would “fly” straight and not be off balance. I taped a loop of thread to his back, and when he was the way I wanted him, I used a pin to put a hole through the tape, thread, and into the wood. I then drilled a tiny hole for the brass hanger. Appx. 5"H x 5"W x 5"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Buster - The full name of this piece is Unabkommlich "Buster" Trakehner Stallion. It is a commissioned carving, requested by the horse's trainer for its owner. It is of walnut with a touch of dark stain on the back applied to mimic his dappled color and white stain for his markings. I wanted to capture the strength of this young stallion in an extended trot, which shows forward motion with restraint. Appx. 9"H x 14"W x 4"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Nativity - This piece was done a section at a time spanning 8 years, with the first pieces being Mary, Joseph, the baby, and the stable - the first pieces that I ever carved. Having acquired the Foredom, I was at a loss as to what to carve first. At the time, my sister was trying to replace our parent's nativity that was cobbled together from miss-matched plastic pieces, and she was having a problem of scale. Even supposedly matched sets seemed to have donkeys and camels half a size smaller than they should be when scaled to the humans. I took on the challenge to make a realistic scaled nativity, allowing for completed nativity to fit in a reasonable space. For the wise men, I incorporated other materials like beads, ribbon, and leather. The stable has a hinged thatched roof to access the light bulbs and to store the transformer. All the gates and the side door have leather hinges for opening. Dimensions - Variable, according to set-up. Private collection.

Half Pass - Carved out of basswood with a silver bit and painted brass reins, this represents a movement performed in Dressage wherein the horse moves sideways while still maintaining a forward momentum. A view of the front reveals the bend of the horse's body and the crossing action of the legs. Appx. 11"H x 13"W x 4"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Goldfinch on Thistle - The goldfinch is out of basswood, and the thistle is out of basswood, toothpicks, copper wire, and steel shim stock. This first attempt at a bird was done in basswood because that is what I had at the time, having not discovered tupelo yet. I even created the legs for the bird using copper and brass wire with epoxy putty to sculpt the scales. I experimented with different materials to try to get the look that I was after. Appx. 12"H x 4"W x 5"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Winged Lion - The lion and the rocks he stands on are of one piece of basswood with the wings out of two pieces of mahogany. This early piece started with the wings, which I cut out of a piece of scrap wood, not knowing what I would attach them to. I was inspired by the King of the Lost Toys, in “Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer.” So I drew out the lion in a scale appropriate for the wings and fit the wings to the body. A little stain was used on the mane and the tail tuft to tie in the color of the wings. Appx. 10"H x 7"W x 5"D. Not for sale.

Bell Harness Carousel Horse - This is a miniature, based on a real carousel horse carved by Dentzel, circa 1921. It would have been an outside-row stander with the elaborate bell harness facing out and a plain inside. I used oil paints to realistically depict its dappled markings. Appx. 6"H x 6"W x 3"D. Price - $125

Flag Carousel Horse - This is a popular design among carousel carvers, and I wanted to try my hand at it. It is basswood painted with acrylics and metal horseshoes with a hand-fluted brass pole. Appx. 6"H x 5"W x 4"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Medieval Carousel Horse - This is not a commonly carved horse. I found his image in the Painted Ponies carousel book and only briefly mentioned. Carved out of basswood with colored stains used to tone him down, he has the most elaborate harness and weapons that I have carved to date. Appx. 8"H x 1"W x 1/4"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Centaur Carousel Figure - This carving never would have been found on an actual carousel during the 1800s, but I think that would be possible today, with newly built carousels sporting endangered species and all manner of make-believe characters. Appx. 6"H x 6"W x 3"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Cautious Approach - Carved out of basswood and painted with acrylics, this wolf was a study of fur and how it clumps and breaks into patterns that flow over muscle groups and changes its look as the animal moves. I hand-crafted the eyes to get that distinctive stare that wolves are noted for. He stands on a base that is distressed and chemically aged, with hand-crafted rocks and pebbles under foot. Appx. 5"H x 8"W x 6"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Gifts of Gods - The complete name of this piece is "He is the Gift of Gods, the Treasure of Kings, and the Most Honored of Man." This piece of cherry is from a tree that had a diameter of 6' before it fell, and I was offered some of the wood. I wanted to do a horse, and this triangular chunk of cherry determined its position. The title comes from Greek mythology, where Poseidon, the god of the sea, gave man the horse. Throughout history, wealth and power were measured by how many horses were possessed, and kings would give horses as gifts. In horse cultures, a man who owned a horse was an honored man, even it he were not a king. Appx. 7"H x 9"W x 4"D. Price - $250

Assorted Letter Openers - The Santa letter openers are carved out of cherry and finished with lacquer. I thought for the holiday season these would be perfect for opening the holiday mail and Christmas cards. Appx. 8"H x 1"W x 1/4"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Preflight - This grouping of 5 figures is carved out of basswood and painted with acrylics, with tiny bells, paper, and artificial snow. Most scenes of Santa are by himself or delivering prsentes, and I wanted to capture the moment of preparation for the big trip. I based the costumes and harness on Laplander designs, because they still use reindeer for transportation. There is a map of the world drawn on the paper, with the route marked in red. Appx. 8"H x 14"W x 11"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

The Lone Ranger and Silver - This piece was done for a 25th anniversary woodcarving show sponsored by a local club, the theme of which was "Anything Silver." It is carved out of basswood and finished with acrylics, silver metal leaf, and silver bezel wires for the reins and martingale. Only Silver's legs are added to have the grain of the wood going in the strongest direction. The base is stained pine with handcrafted rocks and sand as the habitat. When I started researching the costume and tack, I discovered that the Lone Ranger had undergone several looks - during the radio years, the Lone Ranger wore black for public appearances. I decided on the Clayton Moore style, with the light blue shirt and pants, white hat, and the square silver decoration on Silver's tack. Appx. 13"H x 12"W x 4"D. Price - $1,200

Carousel Walking Stick - A man commissioned this piece for his father, who used to carve carousel horses himself. The father was particularly fond of Mueller's style of horses, especially Indian ponies. Both the top and the stick are of cherry, finished with lacquer. I told the son that his father could alter the top of the head to make it as comfortable as he required. His father wrote back and said he would conform his hand to the horse's head, not wanting to alter it one bit. Appx. 6"H x 5"W x 2"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Cardinal in the Grape Vine - The bird is tupelo, and the base is cherry. The fence post is an old fence post of some unknown wood (left unfinished), and the leaves and vines are steel shim and brass. The grape leaves are embossed with veins and then painted with acrylics. The bird is also painted with acrylics, with the base finished with lacquer. I did this piece for a friend's parents who had a farm and grew concord grapes up the barn and over the fences. Sadly, "progress" and eminent domain overran the farm. Appx. 11"H x 12"W x 7"D. Private collection.

The Old Oak Tree - This was used as a cake topper on the groom's cake of a relative's wedding. On the trunk of the tree are carved the initials of the bride and groom in a heart. It was said that I should have included a tree stand, because the groom is an avid hunter. It's carved of basswood with an acrylic wash to lightly add color. 5"H x 4"W x 4"D. Private collection.

White Buffalo - Carved out of basswood and painted with acrylics, this peice was made for my carving club's annual Christmas exchange. The person I drew that year was very much into his Native American heritage, so I thought a symbol like the white buffalo would be very appropriate. Appx. 4"H x 8"W x 2"D. Private collection.

Fall Colors - The blue jay stands out against the fall foliage of the maple leaves, scolding something unseen below. This mixed media piece uses tupelo for the bird, brass shim for the leaves, copper and brass covered with epoxy for the branches, and cherry carved to look like overlapping leaves for the base. My home remodeler is a collector of carved birds, so I did this in exchange for built-in bookcases. It took me three years to complete this piece, but it took him only three weeks to do the bookcases. Luckily, I did the bird first! Both the bird and the branches and leaves are painted with acrylics, and the base has a clear lacquer finish. Appx. 15"H x 17"W x 11"D. Private collection.

Winged Dragon - The dragon is made of several pieces of walnut - the wings, body, and the tip of the tail that goes below the level he is on. The base is made separately, and a recess in the top has a layer of gravel that the dragon sits on, making it easier to transport. He was a commissioned piece, and the design and type of dragon (scales, wings, spines, etc.) were designed by looking at drawings that I made throughout the years for other illustration jobs that I have done. The dragon and the base are finished with lacquer. Appx. 8"H x 12"W x 6"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Out of Africa Walking Stick - I carved a series of African animals and people on this peeled maple branch, then wood burned the stripes of the zebra and the eyes of all the animals and people. It is finished with some washes of acrylics and water-based polyurethane. Appx. 37"H x 1"W x 1"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Santa's Surprise - Carved out of basswood and painted with acrylics, this piece honors my love of cats. Cats have a tendency to get into everything - just because it's yours doesn't mean it's off limits! Even Santa's hat can be the purrfect place for a kitten to take a nap. I hold a special place in my heart for black cats because they have been so maligned throughout history, so I painted the kitten black instead of snow white. Appx. 8"H x 5"W x 5"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Painted Ponies - Carved out of catalpa (a tree that has heart-shaped leaves and long bean-like pods), the wood has the look of oak but is much softer. This is the first time I worked with green wood, and I roughed out the basic shape of the two horseheads with a chainsaw. The title is a play on words. The Native Americans held Spotted horses in high esteem, with multi-colored coats more valued than solid-colored coats. They added symbolic colored clays to their horses before a hunt. The ring around the eye was for better or far sight, the bars on the nose were for stamina, and the hand print told others that a horse belonged to a particular owner. So these are Painted horses and they are also painted. I used a water-based stain to put the "spots" on the horses, allowing the grain to show, and used acrylic paint for the symbols. It is finished with a water-based polyurethane and mounted on a walnut base. Appx. 15"H x 14"W x 12"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Totanka (American Bison) - To get the wood large enough to carve, I glued up 3 pieces of walnut. There are two 3" slabs for the body and a 3" piece glued to the front for the head. The challenge was to capture the wooly look of the cape and head fur that contrasts with the relatively smooth coat of the haunches and horns. To bring more attention to the eyes on this dark walnut, they were first carved and then a shading tip of a woodburning tool was used to darken or char the walnut. It is finished with Danish oil and then waxed. Appx. 9"H x 15"W x 6"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Woodcraft's Logo - This carving is a small replica of a full-size carving known as the "First American Woodworker" (by Armand LaMantagne) that Woodcraft Supply Corp. has at its headquarters. A Woodcraft franchise owner commissioned this replica for their store in Ohio. It is made of pine, like its larger cousin, and is similarly finished. The Indian and the stump are one piece. The knife and spear are added pieces. Appx. 13"H x 6-1/2"W x 6"D. Private collection.

Cocker Spaniel - The dog is of Gabon Ebony, and the base is of basswood. There are several kinds of ebony, with Gabon Ebony being the darkest and most costly. Ebony trees are not common, never grow very big, and take a long time to mature. Because of the demand, the wood is becoming difficult to acquire, and I had a very small scrap of ebony that I just didn't want to throw out. The cocker lent itself well to both the shape of the wood and its color. The dog is not attached to the base so it can be displayed with or without it, but I like how the base sets the dog up off the table and contrasts nicely with the black wood. Appx. 1.5"H x 3/4"W x 3/4"D. Price - $75

Carousel - Horses are carved of tupelo, also known as black gum because of its ability to hold detail when carved with rotary tools. Then they are painted with acrylic, using an airbrush for the main body colors. Then a brush is used to hand paint the saddles and bridles. The last step is to use gold, silver, and copper leaf to finish the armor and metal fittings of the tack. Tiny crystals were added to one of the armored horses. Each horse/animal took anywhere from 10-50 hours to complete, with the carving alone of each figure taking the better part of 8-45 hours. Most of the figures are based on old carousel designs, but a few (like the cheetah) are new creations. Appx. 12" H x 10" diameter. $6,000.

Assorted Lapel Pins - These assorted lapel pins allow for a variety of woods and finishes. Left to right, top to bottom ... • Red cedar, mahogany, walnut, walnut - #F388 • Walnut with lacquer - #F384 • Spalted sycamore with lacquer - #F374 • Aromatic red cedar with lacquer - #F382 • Cocobolo buffed to a shine - #F373 • Ebony buffed to a shine - #F375 • Paduak with lacquer - #F376 • Basswood with lacquer - #F383 • Walnut and double bridle with oil, walnut and double bridle with lacquer, mahogany and basic bridle with lacquer - #F391 • Walnut and silver bridle with lacquer - #F369 • Pine and braided leather bridle with lacquer - #F371 • Cocobolo and silver bridle, brass tassels, bead decoration - #F372 • Walnut and silver double-rein bridle with lacquer. Price - $60 each for unbridled and $65 each for bridled

Assorted Ornaments - These little horses allow me to use lots of different woods and carve the horses in many positions. Some are very active, while others are more collected, but each concentrates on the movement and muscles of the equine form. Freed from the need of a base, I can fashion them in extremely active positions, with all four feet off the ground so they can soar. I also try different finishes on the different woods to see what colors and grain can be brought out. Walnut, for instance, can very very dark - almost black - if finished with an oil finish, but it can also be a light brown or taupe if finished with just wax or a water-based finish. Linseed oil or shellac can bring out the figure in wood, like tiger, Birdseye, or quilted maple. And some chemical treatments can enhance or bring out unique colors. Left to right and top to bottom ... • Maple with lacquer - #W379 • Walnut - #W358 • Cherry with lacquer - #W377 • Walnut with oil polyurethane - #W380 - Best in Category, 2000 • Cherry - #W361 - First in Class, 2002 • Cherry with lacquer - #W378 • Spalted Sycamore with lacquer - #W364 - Spalted means that the wood has begun to rot. Certain fungi cause some woods to form black lines, addding to the character of the grain. Care must be taken, beacause the dust in carving this spalted wood contains unhealthful fungus spores. There usually are areas in the piece that are soft and pithy, where the rot has proceeded farther along. These areas need to be hardened with a cyanoacrylate adhesive (super glue) to stabilize them enough to carve, but the results are worth the effort. Appx. 3"H x 5"-6"W x 7/8"-1"D. Price - $75 each

Green Wing Macaw - This large carving, of cherry, finished with oil urethane and buffed with wax. I wanted to capture the raised neck feathers that parrots lift when about to vocalize or when agitated ... and the little feather tufts that surround the eye on the bare white skin of the face. I used a 2-part wood bleach on the face to lighten it. The overlapping feathers of the cape and wings were shaped and contoured but sanded smooth to show off the grain and coloring of the cherry. Appx. 28"H x 12"W x 16"D. Price - $1,500

House Hunting - The bird is out of tupelo and is detailed and finished like other bluebirds I have done, but this piece is meant to hang on the wall. I made a facade of a bluebird house using the dimensions that would be used for the building of the box and hole size. The roof that sticks out about 4". The box is made out of pine that has been roughed up using a wire brush and chemically stained with iron acetate to give it a soft weathered gray look. Darkening the inside of the hole gives the impression of depth. Appx. 14"H x 8"W x 4"D. Price - $300

Horse Head in High Relief - This carved of aromatic red cedar, with colored polyester resin inlays on the mane and eye. Although cedar is beautiful by itself, adding the contrasting color in the mane and eye breaks up the wood grain, bringing more attention to the flowing mane and life to the eye. It is finished with a semigloss lacquer. Placed on a half-round base, it can fit flat against a wall on a narrow ledge. Appx. 7"H x 6"W x 3"D. Price - $175

Wolf Head Study - The head is carved from basswood and then painted with acrylic paints. A gloss finish is added to the eyes and nose for the wet look. The base is chemically-stained oak to give the soft, weathered gray look of old wood and to tie in with the gray tones in the wolf. The wolf's intense stare is key in capturing his form, and I concentrated the most on getting the structure around the eyes perfect because this will be noticed first. If there is anything incorrect in this area, he will look "off." Appx. 8"H x 3"W x 3"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Celtic Harp - The frame and the 3 sides of the sound box are cherry with a spruce soundboard. It is strung with 22 strings, and I have never played it. An acquaintance of mine used to make musical instruments and had 3 frames hanging from his rafters that had been cut out and glued up, waiting to be worked on and the sound boxes built. I asked if I could carve one - if he showed me what NOT to carve away! He moved out of the area before helping me with the sound box, so the resultant piece is based on my own research. I am not a woodworker, per se, although I work with wood. A table saw, jointer, and planer are not in my collections of tools, so this piece turned out to be collaborative effort with some woodworkers I know. The harp is finished with a semigloss lacquer. Appx. 32"H x 20"W x 7"D. Price - $1,000

Assorted Golf Balls - These are fun to do! A friend of mine gives me “lost” golf balls, and I use a lathe to turn a groove through the white dimpled casing. If I hit a colored rubber composite core, it’s a 2-part golf ball, and I can continue. If I hit a series of rubber bands, I stop, because this would be a 3-part golf ball, and they have a tendency to unwind explosively. If it’s a 2-part golf ball, I use a screwdriver to pop half the casing off. Manufacturers use different colors to indicate the density of that layer, which determines how deeply I can carve, and that color also determines the subject matter. I do a good number of them as make-believe creatures that I call bogies and an occasional birdie or eagle! Price - $45 each

Assorted Horse Feather Pins -These stylized feathers are carved out of basswood, and the barbs are burned in to create a realistic feather texture. They are painted with horse colors like appaloosa, dapple gray, bay, palomino, etc. My grandmother actually gave me the idea because she always told my sister and me that nice young ladies should always say horsefeathers instead of more foul language. I have to say I don't always follow her advice but will always thank her for the idea. I have met others whose parents or more likely grandparents have used the term horsefeathers themselves, and my little pins always bring a smile because of that. Appx. 1"H x 3"W x 1/4"D. Price - $25 each

Sleeping Dragon - From a Tagua nut, this is the first miniature carving I attempted. The nut is from a palm tree and is sometimes used as a substitute for ivory. The one drawback is that it has a void in the center that you have to work around or incorporate into the piece. This sometimes means you must change you layout while you're in the middle of the carving processes. That just adds to the challenge and the satisfaction of making it work. No finish is needed, and handling will bring out a warm amber color similar to old ivory. Not for sale.

Bowl of the Four Wings - The carvings completely surround the box elder bowl with four horse heads representing the north, South, east, and west winds. Cut into the south wind area is a silhouette of a running horse. The idea is based on the Bedouin legend ... Allah said to the South Wind, "Become solid flesh, for I will make a new creature of thee.” Then Allah took a handful of the South Wind and he breathed thereon, creating the horse. Each of the four heads has their own personalities—wild and fiery to calm and gentle. The carving is considered low relief, and the negative areas are carved through to the inside of the bowl. It is finished with lacquer, and then a glaze is used to accent the carving. Appx. 5"H x 4"W x 4"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Horse Feather, Appaloosa - Appx. 1"H x 3"W x 1/4"D. Price - $25

Horse Feather Pin - Dappled grey feather of basswood with acrylic paint. Appx. 1"H x 3"W x 1/4"D. Price - $25

Mule Head Study - This piece is carved out of a piece of dark figured walnut. I tried to capture the heavy head, Roman nose, and intelligent eye of a mammoth breed. These are the largest of the mules and are used for heavy draft work. Much of the structure comes from his equine background with the most obvious features—the ears from the donkey side of the family. The carving is then finished with an oil finish to bring out the dark color, and then a wipe-on oil urethane topcoat is applied to bring out the depth of colors. It is mounted on a maple burl base with natural edge and finished the same. Appx. 6"H x 5"W x 2"D. Price - $100

Wolf Head Study - Basswood is used for the wolf, and the base is walnut with a paw print carved into the back. The head is painted with acrylics, and the base is finished with clear oil. Appx. 5"H x 4"W x 2"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Draft Horse - This is the size of the horse ornaments, but I chose to put a base on this one. He is carved out of quilted maple—one of three types of figures that maple is capable of forming. The other two are called tiger, curly, or fiddle back, depending on how tight the rows of figures are together; the other is birdseye, which has little whorls of figures that resemble bird's eyes. To bring out the grain, I used an aniline dye and then sanded most of it off, finishing the piece with lacquer and a coat of paste wax. Appx. 4"H x 6"W x 1"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Goldfinch on Grass - The bird is carved out of tupelo (also known as black gum) that grows in the southern United States. It is much easier to carve with rotary tools than hand tools because of it spiral grain, and it takes fine detail like feathering without “fuzzing” under power tools like basswood does. For this reason, it is the choice of realistic bird carvers. Feathering is done with stones in a rotary tool, and so it is also known as “stoning in texture.” A burning tool is used to put in the barbs of the wing and tail feathers. Glass eyes are set in and cast pewter feet are shaped and glued into the body of the bird. The piece is then painted. For the grass, I used brass shim stock and tubing to capture the blowing wind and set them in a walnut base. I tried to capture the look of the bird clinging to the grass as the wind moves it before he takes off again. Appx. 19"H x 12"W x 6"D. Price - $350

Bluebird on Post - The bird is out of tupelo with glass eyes and pewter legs. The post is a piece of interesting found wood, and the barbed wire is made out of copper wire, all set on a stained base. I have carved a couple of these simply designed pieces for people who love bluebirds and for some who put out boxes on their property to help encourage birds to nest in their areas. They are beautiful birds, and it is a thrill to actually see one in the field. Appx. 10"H x 5"W x 5"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Spirit of the Land, Spirit of the People - Both bison are carved out of a figured piece of basswood that I found, leaving the one bison white (natural) and the other colored with aniline dyes that would bring out the curly figure on its flank. They were then finished with shellac to make the figure on the natural one stand out even more. A split piece of cherry was used as a base, its texture looking like blown down grass. The title is based on the Native American stories of the White Buffalo Woman who takes the form of a white buffalo. She represents the people of the plains and the brown buffalo the source of their survival and what they live off of—the land. Most buffalo that you see in art are just standing there. Although they are not as impressive as seeing a herd on the move, I wanted to capture these in motion. Appx. 6"H x 14"W x 5"D. Price - $1,000

Golden Retriever - Cherry was used to capture the dog in show stance. He is finished with lacquer and then buffed with wax. I do dog wax carvings for a jeweler, but those are on a very small scale, and I wanted get more detail in this carving because of its larger size, especially around the eyes. Appx. 4"H x 6"W x 2"D. Price - $250

Labrador Retriever - Walnut was used with an oil finish to bring out the dark color of the wood. Then a paste wax was applied and buffed to a soft shine. He is positioned in a show stance, and I paid close attention to the detail around the eyes. Appx. 4"H x 6"W x 2"D. Price - $250

Hostile Takeover - This is carved from ebony and holly. Each horse and its base are one piece, and then the two bases are glue together to form one unit. Nothing says wild fury more than two stallions fighting for dominance, and I found doing it in a miniature to be a worthy challenge. Needless to say, a magnifying glass was necessary to get all the detail I wanted to get in. Most carving shows have a miniature category, and this carving won in several shows. Appx. 2"H x 2"W x 2"D. Price - $500

Eagle in Walnut - This is my first foray into large carvings. By large, I mean those that need a chainsaw to rough out! This wood was given to me by the widow or another woodcarver — it had been stored in his basement for 20+ years. I thought that an eagle would just about fit into the shape of the wood, so I worked to bring that out. This type of carving is more challenging because you can't cut a profile shape on the band saw. You must carefully work from all sides at once to coax the image out of the wood. The beak of the eagle is pointed down because there was not enough wood to have it stick out. It is finished with oil urethane and buffed with wax. Appx. 21"H x 10"W x 9"D. Price - $400

Horse Frieze on Bowl - The horses are carved in low relief on a maple bowl and finished with lacquer. To keep the piece from being to busy, I limited the image to just the heads, necks, and bodies of the horses. Their flowing manes and body positions indicate they are running. Appx. 4"H x 4"W x 4"D. Sold - inquire about a commissioned piece.

Giraffe Head - This piece of mulberry is a branching section that was left when the tree was removed. It was destined to be firewood until I spotted it. When I picked it up, I knew what it was going to be because of its shape, but I didn't know how appropriate the color of mulberry would be to its final form. This wood offered another challenge because it was green (wet). I used a wood stabilizer, and although it has a split at the back where the mane is, it has not done too much checking. Appx. 26"H x 17"W x 9"D. Price - $750

On the Prowl - The walnut for this piece was given to me by another artist who got it from his family farm. After moving with it four times, his wife said that was enough! It had cracked, leaving just enough to get a grizzly bear out of one part of it - and that part had the soft pith (the very center of the tree), which I carved out and filled with clear epoxy. It blends well with the surrounding walnut. I also used a two-part wood bleach on the claws, taking all the color out of the walnut to leave the white. Using the bleach gave the claws a more realistic look than using an opaque finish. He is mounted on a slice of curly maple, with the surface that was under the bark face up. This gives an almost pebbly texture like a stream bank. He is finished with oil and waxed and buffed. Appx. 8"H x 14"W x 5"D. Price - $300