Forest Art
Anytime I can I simply love adding nature into wood art. It just fits. The Celtic Deer took on a little different evolution. I wanted it to have more color representing a buck in forest art or as you would see them in the woods.
Typically with panel art I use the wood grain so that it is represented horizontally. With this piece I used the wood grain vertically. The color of the wood grain is very rich from this Maple and adds an effect. It is almost as if the forest is out of focus behind the deer as you look at him.
Two panels make up the work. They were joined together and it is a solid piece. The frame you see is part of the original panel that was carved to appear as a frame. The deer and leaves are 2.5d cuts so it is relief art carving. You can feel the art in your hands as it stands out from the wood.
The wood itself is a rare find. While this is Maple it is what is called Ambrosia. Nevertheless most ambrosia does not carry this much color in its grain. This effect is often as a result of damage which the tree suffered while it was living allowing stress to impact its grain. This particular tree was eventually taken down by a tornado.
The deer itself is carved in such a way as it is comprised of vines or what can be seen as roots. They weave the pattern and outline of the deer as well as forming its interior. The portions where wood material was removed has been stained red while the deer itself was stained dark.
Leaves form the outer frame of the forest art yet I wanted each leaf to have a different color. This alone is challenging when using only stain. It took repeated process to achieve color variation allowing them to accent the piece. It also gives the wood art its themed fall appearance.
Beautiful Home Accent
Being a little smaller than my other wall art pieces it would work well within a study or bedroom rather than a center focal piece. Nevertheless it is designed to stand out giving its own value in art. An additional advantage is that it could also be used as an art inlay within another wood piece or shiplap style wall.
There are so many colors within this piece that it has a life of its own. It will not blend into a background. Each part of the artwork was thought out in order to bring the whole work to life. It was definitely a fun creation in my wood art.
If you are looking for something to hang on your wall as home décor consider quality wood wall art. It gives a 3d dimension to the space and fits within almost every setting. The benefit to wood is that it being a natural material is hard be out of place with other décor or wall colors. This gives it a timeless use within your home no matter other changes which come down the road.
Culture In Wood Art
Certainly this is not a piece which will be thrown away with time. It becomes a collected family piece that can move past one generation. Works such as this begin to take a decorated home by Kirklands to being a direct expression of your taste and meaning.
While the HGTV’s of the world may influence and cultivate trends they certainly do not have to define a cookie cutter mix of mass produced products. We are not all the same. The beauty of culture is that it is too big for giants to control. Certainly they can hold influence, but no one can tell you who you are or what defines you.
This is one aspect of being a wood artist that I love. The creative outlet allowing my expression in who I am to become a part of a work. It is what has kept me going at times when others who only chase profit decide to quit. In the end its about meaning and definition not a currency.
If you want to define a trend in culture there is one place the giants miss the mark. Just because something is pretty does not make it personal to who we are.