The Vikings : Some of my history, inspiration and I hope, interesting thoughts.
There is a magic to the early Scandinavian art form. The lines of the Viking ship are breathtaking. The craftsmanship that hand carved the keel, ribs and planking was justified in the way the ship handled in the rough seas. I saw my first blackened hull of an ancient Viking ship in Copenhagen in 1958. Although my family was a little late and the museum was closing we were allowed into a large room where the ship rested. I could only stare in awe. It was as if something very familiar to me was taking me back in time. Very hard to explain, but the mind of a 7 year old is fertile ground for the imagination to run wild. The sight of a rusted Viking sword hanging on the wall in a glass case only fueled the fire.
My family and I were slowly escorted from the museum but not before the impact had set my course. For the balance of my years I have been interested in Scandinavian history and adventure. It has been a half century since that time in Copenhagen and much has happened in my life that reflects the Viking attitude of embracing the storms that come our way.To laugh at what others fear and to fear nothing. My art school instructor Stephen Repa taught me well (way back in the 60's), that if you apply your ability to look and think a bit, you can turn out something aesthetically decent for others to admire. Another art school teacher I had said most of my art was crap. I think he was saying that you have to stay honest to yourself, and if you don't work your ass off, nothing much will happen with you as an artist. I have to admit a lot of my carvings over the last 20 years or so lacked any special distinction in my view. However over the last ten years, I think I have more confidence to carve whatever interests me.
I also like to draw my subjects and make clay molds before striking the chisel. I have worked very hard to carve wood well. I think to accomplish anything, first you must have a passion. The Scandinavian art form is the gyro that I find works for my sensibilities. To carve a head from a 3 foot log is really not terribly difficult. Getting an expression that gazes deep within, is the challenge. Bringing a carving to life is a responsibility I don't take lightly. (Lorraine refers to me as Geppetto).That, combined with interesting Scandinavian design elements that I incorporate into my carvings, hopefully make for something artistic that is also pleasing to the eye. So I hope this gives you something of an overview that explains why I carve the Viking. I hope you also will discover the passion that will set your course to great adventure, sprinkled with a little good luck. As I move into 2012/13, I have ideas for carvings that will encompass a broader range of landscape architectural possibilities. Panels that accent door frames and window frames would be interesting and possibly making and carving a full door. Working with 12 x 12 timbers and heavier beams for decking support is another consideration. I feel the cottage industry needs something more rustic than the pre-made sterile structures I see so often now.
Garth
Below is a video I put together of the carving project I made for a local (Manitoba, Canada) Provincial Park in 2009. As I do not use a chainsaw I was 3 months at it with jack planes, axes, chisels and sandpaper. Even a Dremel came in handy from time to time. This carving stands at just over 12 feet and weighs close to 3000 pounds. It is mounted on a concrete base and has about 50 coats of my own special recipe for preservation.
Here it is the end of summer 2013, it has been a very busy year and I've completed several projects that have been moved to the New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli Manitoba. Basically I carve because I love to carve. It seems the less I try to market the things I carve the more success I have. It wasn't like that in 1981 when I had to carve to eat and feed a family. (yikes) So I do what I love and hope people like what I do. (September 2013).
January 13, 2014.
This may be a year that I stand back a bit and try to figure out some new ideas. The cottage industry is one area that interests me. I have made a few signs (one was stolen), and I think with the knowledge I picked up while building and restoring canoes, bending wood with steam might be interesting. However I need an outlet to get started. I have tried to approach a few stores here in Winnipeg, however I may need to scale down as many shops don't have the room for such large pieces. Mind you I do make Viking drinking horns and walking staffs.
I love to carve, I don't care about the money. No that's a lie, I can purchase neat things on E-bay when I have a few $ in my account. I worked so long to be able to do this carving thing full time. Maybe I have a few years left to pursue this passion. For that I thank every one who stops by this website and gives a nod to the things I do with wood.
My family and I were slowly escorted from the museum but not before the impact had set my course. For the balance of my years I have been interested in Scandinavian history and adventure. It has been a half century since that time in Copenhagen and much has happened in my life that reflects the Viking attitude of embracing the storms that come our way.To laugh at what others fear and to fear nothing. My art school instructor Stephen Repa taught me well (way back in the 60's), that if you apply your ability to look and think a bit, you can turn out something aesthetically decent for others to admire. Another art school teacher I had said most of my art was crap. I think he was saying that you have to stay honest to yourself, and if you don't work your ass off, nothing much will happen with you as an artist. I have to admit a lot of my carvings over the last 20 years or so lacked any special distinction in my view. However over the last ten years, I think I have more confidence to carve whatever interests me.
I also like to draw my subjects and make clay molds before striking the chisel. I have worked very hard to carve wood well. I think to accomplish anything, first you must have a passion. The Scandinavian art form is the gyro that I find works for my sensibilities. To carve a head from a 3 foot log is really not terribly difficult. Getting an expression that gazes deep within, is the challenge. Bringing a carving to life is a responsibility I don't take lightly. (Lorraine refers to me as Geppetto).That, combined with interesting Scandinavian design elements that I incorporate into my carvings, hopefully make for something artistic that is also pleasing to the eye. So I hope this gives you something of an overview that explains why I carve the Viking. I hope you also will discover the passion that will set your course to great adventure, sprinkled with a little good luck. As I move into 2012/13, I have ideas for carvings that will encompass a broader range of landscape architectural possibilities. Panels that accent door frames and window frames would be interesting and possibly making and carving a full door. Working with 12 x 12 timbers and heavier beams for decking support is another consideration. I feel the cottage industry needs something more rustic than the pre-made sterile structures I see so often now.
Garth
Below is a video I put together of the carving project I made for a local (Manitoba, Canada) Provincial Park in 2009. As I do not use a chainsaw I was 3 months at it with jack planes, axes, chisels and sandpaper. Even a Dremel came in handy from time to time. This carving stands at just over 12 feet and weighs close to 3000 pounds. It is mounted on a concrete base and has about 50 coats of my own special recipe for preservation.
Here it is the end of summer 2013, it has been a very busy year and I've completed several projects that have been moved to the New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli Manitoba. Basically I carve because I love to carve. It seems the less I try to market the things I carve the more success I have. It wasn't like that in 1981 when I had to carve to eat and feed a family. (yikes) So I do what I love and hope people like what I do. (September 2013).
January 13, 2014.
This may be a year that I stand back a bit and try to figure out some new ideas. The cottage industry is one area that interests me. I have made a few signs (one was stolen), and I think with the knowledge I picked up while building and restoring canoes, bending wood with steam might be interesting. However I need an outlet to get started. I have tried to approach a few stores here in Winnipeg, however I may need to scale down as many shops don't have the room for such large pieces. Mind you I do make Viking drinking horns and walking staffs.
I love to carve, I don't care about the money. No that's a lie, I can purchase neat things on E-bay when I have a few $ in my account. I worked so long to be able to do this carving thing full time. Maybe I have a few years left to pursue this passion. For that I thank every one who stops by this website and gives a nod to the things I do with wood.
