I’m making up the process as I go. Using photo reference transferred with graphite paper, I set in the deep crevices. Bark is rough, so I have to avoid the temptation to smooth things out. Next I textured the surface with a small u shaped gouge. Now I will come in and create intermediate sized crevices and clean up the two vines. That will be as far as I can go with carving. After that will be painting.

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  Texturing in progress

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  Deep crevices.

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Now, looking on the positive, there is time to work on carving progress.

This is “Oak” the second piece in “The Life of a Seed”.

I’ve been invited to participate in a show for Lent and Easter with the title, “The Life of a Seed”. Part one is an acorn in relief. Part two is a segment of an oak tree. This is before and after. Acorn will hang during Lent at Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison. The show will be rehung at Easter with the before and after pieces together.

The oak tree is a close up of a tree at the Farley Center.

I’ll post progress.

Working on blocks to fill 8 places where beams intersect the wall.

Continued projects

I received a very useful book on watercolor painting. It has a number of exercises. Here are some I’ve been trying.

“Nature” is not far away from us in the city. In these pictures from our yard and from a walk downtown, nature is hard to avoid.

Pollenator at work.

Queen Anne meets Susan.

I’m not sure what this is

Cardinal Flower

Madison’s iconic smoke stacks from another view.

Coneflower