He was tough. Using a stone ax, I scored the piece until sections broke into the shapes I wanted. This is a little unusual for my stone work. The wooden pieces are more naturally figurative. Then I start carving.
Wood has a spirit and a natural gesture within it.
In this sculpture, I can feel the spirit of a person walking these woods a long time ago. Because shiny wood is so pretty and so tactile, if its too highly finished, its becomes hard to see the sculpture. People around here call me when a large tree falls in a storm. This oak tree was a casualty of hurricane Floyd. I have the trucks and cranes to haul, handle and site my work.