Wood Sculpture : The Overlooked Accent
One of the reasons why so many Wood Sculptures are overlooked in home accents is due to how cheap products have flooded our markets. The appeal of what quality is has now left us and been replaced with easier to fabricate products.
I want to give you a brief glimpse into the world of the artist as they create a wood sculpture or other carving. After this one can gain insight into why some like me hate walking into most stores. The best retailers still cannot come close to comparing.
Selection Of Wood For A Sculpture Or Carving
The process begins with the wood. Selecting the wood to be used for art immediately eliminates many options. Reclaimed wood, scrap, or pallets, each of these are used for the artsy things you find in retailers.
For art often logs or live edge wood slabs which have been freshly dried are what we desire. Artists do not buy from the local hardware store. What we need must be found in other places.
Here the wood itself already costs more than the finished product on the store shelves. This is our starting point and we have not yet begun to carve.
A Sculpture or carving is most often done in wood which has a unique beauty to it. The grain and color of the lumber is as important as the art itself. They cannot be separated.
If one makes a beautiful carving into old ugly wood then it will be an ugly sculpture. We want more for our art that better represents who we are and the passion we have.
Early Stages Of Sculpting Wood
The early stages of sculpting wood begins with cleaning, cutting with saws, general dimensional shaping. The process of art with wood can take time.
Each artist has their preferred method of beginning their work. Some will create panels for carved work. Others will use a lathe in wood turning for the foundation of a more true free standing wood sculpture.
Some have incorporated other arts into the sculpting process. Wood burning art has become a popular way to add accents and definition to a sculpture. The end result can be absolutely stunning.
No matter which processed used it is done by hand and with the eye of the artist. Our shops do not have large multi-million dollar machinery to automate this process. The lumber we use does not come ready to work with.
We must create our canvas before we can ever begin creating our art. This is one unique feature about wood art no matter if it is a carving, whittling, or sculpture.
Carving And Sculpting The Art
Most artists do not have access to methods which allow them automation. Those who do have access to this can only use it within a limited scope. When it is used it does not remove the need for hand carving and finishing.
In small art shops the machinery used does aid in some speed. Yet this might as well be considered a primitive means compared to large industry. Ultimately for each artist the wood chisel almost always comes out.
This is not carving a name into a sign or board. Sculpting requires a great deal of attention and skill. The most common tool outside of a bit or chisel would be a bench vise. The one tool which is consistently used through the entire process is the artists hands.
Wood must be removed in thin layers. It is an art of patience. There will be moments of sharpening the chisel between some cuts and hours more of removing these thin layers.
Once the work is completed, it still is not finished. What comes next is the finishing process in order to bring the wood sculpture to life.
Finishing Process In Wood Sculpting
Few realize that the finishing process for a wood sculpture can almost take as long as the carving itself. It is a meticulous process. If one is not careful the artist can inadvertently ruin the work of art.
The finishing process involves sanding of course. Yet with this also comes the cleaning of lines with slight carving adjustments, staining, and sealing of the wood. It is a process that can take days alone.
When finished the work is still not always finished. Often artists like myself will set the art aside and allow it to dry and cure. Once it has completed this process I then review the work to inspect its colors, texture, and if any changes took place to its form.
Almost always there will be some retouch that is needed in color. Wood is porous and the colors soak in. This is natural. So a final retouch adds about two more days until the work can be truly called finished.
It Is About More Than Quality
Quality is a word that gets used a lot when it comes to wood items. It really is more about the art involved within the work. With this comes the time and skill from the artists life.
Artists do not consider their works the same as items of decoration or design. It is a personal creation with personal meaning. The objective never has been to compete with the home decor market.
Sticker shock is common when looking at some artists work. Yet this is not exclusive to traditional art. Hand made quilts are much the same way.
A genuine hand made quilt can be anywhere between 4 to 5 thousand dollars. To see art reach this range is quite common. Panel art that is under one thousand is a deal. At this price often the artist is aided by machinery to save time making it more affordable.
A Wood Sculpture can range widely in price due to its potential scale and detail. Yet even small pieces can command a premium price.
Abstract ideas in wood can come more affordably depending upon scale. Yet these too depend on the scope of work placed into them. The benefit of these pieces is wider availability from craft markets if so desired.
Why Not Buy From Cheaper Artists?
You can buy from artists who sell their work more cheaply. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Here is two sides of a coin that the buyer rarely ever understands.
The buyer gets an amazing deal. The artist though may not be there for long. Too many wash out as they attempt to step into the art world. This price issue is one of the reasons why.
Most real artists know their work will not always support them in life. So they have other vehicles of income. Due to this and the passion for their work many who have been around for a while adopt a different mentality.
This mentality is that of keeping our art for ourselves. If they sell then wonderful. Yet it is like selling a piece of who you are. You want to know who that person is that is taking that piece of you with them.
Artists who are new to the market are in a frenzy trying to survive. They want the name, sales, views, and the lights on them. Art is the most difficult market in the world to survive in. Us older artists got over the unrealistic dreams a long time ago.
Making it in the art world is a life long marathon, not a sprint. That is a reality for many things in life. Yet for the artist it truly is a way of life.
If you find an artist selling their work cheaply and you genuinely like them there is something you can do. Support them. Share their work. Help them be seen. Maybe… just maybe you will help give them enough time to mature to where they are better supported by their art.
Those that do stick around in art do it for the love of what they do. In the end that is really what separates the great artist from the functioning one. While who you buy from is up to you, now perhaps someone can know the other side of the story.
Do Wood Sculptures Gain In Value?
It depends on many factors as to whether or not it will gain in value. Who the artist is can matter but this is not always the deciding factor. What the art is matters more.
A Wood Sculpture that is of a popular theme or idea naturally will gain more notice. What the sculpture was carved in is of critical importance. It really goes back to the whole wood selection process.
Over time the nature of the wood will enhance the art, or destroy it. How well it is cared for by the owner will play a role in this. Allowing a sculpture to face the elements or direct sunlight for hours each day is not the best idea.
So there are a lot of factors which come to be involved. My advice on this has always been the same no matter the art. Buy what you love and what speaks to you. Consider it a personal investment not a monetary one.
In this way the art will definitely gain in value for you. This goes back to the core purpose and meaning behind what art is.
Where To Buy A Wood Sculpture From?
I always prefer to support local artists. Yet what defines local to me may be different than you. Where I live the art community is small to say the least.
If you have a strong local network in your town then that is a great place to begin. Yet I look at my specific form of art and those who practice Wood Art.
If the artist resides in North America (US and Canada) I consider them local to me. It is for more reasons than the whole global economy thing. It has more to do with Wood Art itself.
The styles, skills represented, nature of carving and wood sculpting has a lot within it that we all share. Educationally I need to broaden my horizon to encompass more people. To study my own work I need them.
Having said that you may want to consider the online market in purchasing a Wood Sculpture. Yet to find genuine artists I do suggest staying away from the hub communities like Etsy. Support a real artist and not the maker crowd irregardless of the price issue.
How Can You Tell If Someone Is A Real Artist Or Maker?
Look at whatever shop they have selling their carvings or wood sculptures. If it looks like a manufacturing hub then it is. Typically an artist will have only one to two of any one kind.
Usually the selection will also be fairly small when compared to maker shops. Also you should not see a lot of duplication in the art like a copy and paste.
This duplication goes beyond what they are making to also what others are doing. You shouldn’t see the same “product” just done a different way from vendor to vendor.
If you can select or build your own customization on their site or platform then its clearly production. I have customized pieces in my time yet they are few in number. Most of those were commissions from the get go.
Ignore their social media and pay attention to their infrastructure. If they sell in real art hubs then thats a plus. If they have their own site then that is a huge plus in reliability and dependability. The odds of them still being there tomorrow is much higher.
Outside of these cues there are other ways but it would take someone who is an artist to spot them. How the wood is cut, the patterns left behind from the tools, and how the finishing was done matter. These can be hard to see in images.
Placing A Wood Sculpture In Your Home
Typically a wood sculpture will be freestanding art of some kind, yet not always. Many carvings can be called “sculptures”. Yet placing them in the home brings something no other decoration can have.
Unique art is just the beginning. If it means something to you then it becomes a focus within the space. If it is beautiful then that space has just been transformed from ordinary to having depth. The impact is exponential.
Ensure that you know how to care for wooden art in order to get the most enjoyment from it. There are a few differences in wood to other art pieces.
The space used should accommodate the art, its space, but also do what is reasonable to protect the work. Keep it indoors and if there is a lot of sunlight use UV film on windows to help protect the room.
Once you have the experience of this kind of art within your life I know it will not end here. This is ultimately the difference between art and decoration. One is an experience, the other merely exists as a placeholder.