Wood Carving and Spirit Faces

I have been a whittler ever since I was old enough to sit in the corner of the old farm kitchen with the waste basket between my legs and turn sticks into shavings with my official Cub Scout pocket knife.  I took up carving again later in life when I quit smoking.  I needed to have something to keep my hands busy and the memory of the hours I spent sitting in the kitchen of the old farm house whittling and thinking seemed like a great option to me.  While researching carving and carving tools I discovered Spirit Faces and was quickly taken over by these fantastic characters.  About the same time I also found Chip Carving which completely tapped into all my design senses. 


 Here is an example of what is called "Chip Carving."

                    
       
This is a Scandinavian, traditional style chip carved wooden egg.  I prepare the blank Basswood egg and create the intricate design.  Then each chip is carved out with a special knife to achieve the finished product.  The eggs range in size from 5 inches to 2.5 inches tall.  Each egg is a unique, one of a kind piece.  I do not replicate my designs.  They are one of a kind collector pieces.   






 Spirit Faces
 
Here are a couple examples of "Spirit Faces".  These were released from cottonwood bark and are both  over 20 inches long.  I have several pieces, in a variety of sizes, available in my Etsy shop -- ghostwindcreations.etsy.com  (Please see post about Hidden Faces).  Spirit Faces have a magical quality and it is believed that they bring good luck and safe spaces to wherever they may reside.  So adopting one of these characters is a good situation for everyone involved.  I do not name the Spirits.  My role is to remove wood and release the Spirit from the piece of wood that has come into my possession.  Naming is a personal process between the Spirit and the individual who adopts it.