Hawaiian Moon

My husband, Scott, is a woodcarver of incredible talent using mostly hand tools, and knives that he has made. He carves woods local to our home region: primarily red and yellow cedar, and alder. Scott's website (link) shows some of his past artwork as well as our collaborations. 

At the end of last year we were commissioned to collaborate on a moon, something we have done a few times before. Each moon has been very different from the last, inspired by the river, berry seasons, a favorite tree outside our window, the phases of the moon... This one recently completed reflects Hawaii, where the collectors have three volcanoes in view from home and the milky way is incredibly bright. They sent us inspiration photos and we got to work on a drawing. 

Scott carved the moon from yellow cedar, making a base for my micro-mosaics that has dimension and grace. The surface is all knife-textured--no sandpaper--yet so smooth that my tiny beads can follow the complex compound curves and contours. We work well together, balancing each other's vision and skills. 

 

 

 The video below is the most comprehensive recording I have made to date, capturing the point from our handoff to completion. Scott agreed that next time we should capture some footage of him carving. Watching him carve is mesmerizing; he moves with an efficiency that is mind-boggling, as if his tools are extensions of his hands and he can carve whatever he envisions.