“Ancestry Gothic” is a recent commission carving project of an interpretative likeness of the maternal grandparents of a high school friend (class of ‘59) using only a couple photographs as a guide along with verbal memories of long, long ago.
Troy Bordeaux is a carving friend whose passion for carving guides him to create a unique style with clean, crisp and sharp detail of creative art. The photographic gallery will showcase some of his carving in an ever-growing variety of creative expressions. The opening photo above is a collection of some of his carvings covering the last five years with his most recent in front of older carvings.
The two Indian carvings are artistic interpretation of a warrior holding a spear and shield bearing the name “War Eagle” The other carving is an Indian presenting a peace pipe bearing the name “Lonesome Dove.”
Whittle Doodles are an exercise of imaginative free hand carving in a block of wood using only knives to carve a variety of whimsical subjects in the round, shallow and deep relief, chip carving and incised carving in a Whittle-Carving style. The blocks of wood used can be a variety of sizes from an inch square up to a four-inch square by fifteen inches tall. In this latest version called “Whittle Doodle Extreme” the basswood block measures eleven inches tall by just shy of four inches square. The term “extreme” describes both the size and the variety of carved subjects and styles of carving using only knives to do the carving.
FARM GOTHIC is a parody on the iconic Grant Wood painting “American Gothic,” that is a depiction of a farm couple. In this case the farmer is holding an ear of corn and the farmer’s wife is holding an apple pie inscribed with a wheat design on the upper crust of the pie.
“Quaker Meeting” is a nostalgic interpretation of a husband and wife of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers. Each figure was carved as a single carving and then mounted together on a base for permanent display.
The Red Beard Pirate has been an often repeated carving subject and on this version this pirate will be the subject of a tutorial on the SLOW and EASY method of carving. The first photo gallery will be of the finished and painted rendition of the Red Beard Pirate. Which will be followed by a verbal descriptive tutorial with additional photos of the Slow and Easy carving process.
The unique style of carvings created by Mark Akers are eye catching in their crispness of detail and whimsical signature as is evident in viewing the photo gallery below. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” so let each picture speak to you by studying each with an observant eye of creativity.