Sculpture: Eskimo Dream

For the life of me, I just can't remember the title I gave this piece - Eskimo Dream will have to do for now. The body is carved from a mineshaft timber that my father-in-law, Allen, picked up somewhere in the Wyoming back country. He intended it to be firewood, but gave it to me to carve.

PHOTO BY AZAD - click to enlarge

The cavities in the body and head were flame-carved, the way canoes used to be hollowed out. I carved the face and mittens out of a slab of Mammoth ivory. I carved the fish out of Basswood (no, really!), and painted it with acrylic artists' colors - some of the "interference" and metallic and pearlescent colors are perfect for 3-dimensional shapes, and especially a fish! People kept asking me what kind of fish it was, so I invented the species - it was an "Everyfish". The base was carved from a chunk of snowy-white marble.

This piece sold many years ago - call me at the studio to ask about a variation on this theme.
(505) 296-1400 .... or email me at David@StewartArt.com

DESIGN, PHOTO AND TEXT © DAVID LLOYD STEWART - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

RavenStone's Face

Here's a close-up of the face I carved for the sculpture below. I carved it in a smooth-grained wood (basswood), and then painted it with a rusty-red undercoat, followed by a splotchy covering of composite gold leaf. I wanted the red to show through the little gaps in the metallic covering, just as it did on the "spikes" on the lower body.
Note that it's not carved fully "in the round", but almost as a bass-relief piece in keeping with the almost monolithic shape I'm so fond of right now. These pieces are almost tablet-like in shape - something I find fascinating.

Sculpture: Raven's Stone

"Raven's Stone" (click image to enlarge)

I designed this piece with outstretched arms, so that the new owner can contribute to the look of the piece by hanging their own necklaces & pendants on them. Ravens & crows, of course, are known for their fascination with bright, shiny things - so I gave this one a large brilliant-cut cubic zirconia stone glittering in his beak.

The piece is constructed of ebonized oak, with carved composite gold-leaf accents. The Raven scene is carved in deep relief in basswood, and painted with acrylic. The base contains a layer of polished black beach pebbles.

This piece is still available at $5,800 - Email me for details.

Credenza: Evermore, Nevermore

"Evermore, Nevermore" (credenza) (click image to enlarge)

Left Panel close-up

Right Panel close-up

Turquoise Mosaic Knob close-up

This piece is a decorative Credenza (sideboard) custom-made for a client in Scottsdale. Titled "Evermore, Nevermore", it is about 5 feet long by 1 foot wide. I used solid oak for the structure of the piece, textured to emphasize the grain, and ebonized black. The panels were carved in deep relief in basswood, and polychromed in acrylic with composite gold-leaf accents. The knobs were created by first carving the faces in river-rock, and then cutting & fitting turquoise stones, piece by piece, to cover the surface.... the assemblies were then ground, carved & polished as a single large stone, and then mounted in a handmade siver bezel and suspended slightly above the surface of the panel. A turquoise cabochon set in silver accents the center post. A comparable piece would run in the neighborhood of $20,000.

Sculpture: MUSE

"Muse" (mixed media sculpture)
(click image to enlarge)

Muse close-up: turquoise face

Muse close-up: carved body

The Muse is the traditional Spirit that inspires Artists, Poets and other creative people. The imagery I've carved in deep relief in the body section is representative of the things that inspire me: Light, space, geometry and organic/ natural shapes, rhythm, high contrasts in color and value, and the creative works of artists through the ages.

In the execution of the carving itself, as well as on the back of the piece, I have carefully preserved the chisel and tool marks, as well as the natural cracks in the wood, to create a rich, rustic flavor, and to remind the viewer that it is only by the labor of the hand that such creative works come into being.

The body of the piece is hand-carved from a solid heavy plank of Poplar, and the carving is polychromed with acrylic artists' colors accented with composite gold-leaf. The arms and legs are carved from warm-toned Oak, while the hair, which ends in a ponytail on the back of the piece, is Ebonized Oak. The face was created by overlaying hand-cut turquoise mosaic, piece-by-piece, over a carved wood base... then the assembly was ground and polished as a single large stone. The sculpture sits atop an 85-pound slab of Arizona Moss-rock. Resting in a depression carved in the Muse's left hand is a polished Brazilian rutilated Quartz crystal ball, symbolizing the "prophetic" nature of the artists' work: the dreams of artists today inevitably become the realities of tomorrow.

The piece stands 67” tall on a stone base that is 23” wide X 21” front-to-back. I envision this work of art as a greeting in a foyer or entryway, or as an accent in a great room to the side of a fireplace (but not too close!). It is for display indoors only, not to be exposed to the elements (as would be the case for any fine painting). The bottom of the stone has heavy felt pads attached, to protect your tile or wood floors.

Documentation sent with the piece is a Certificate of Authenticity, which includes the artist resume, artist statement, and a list of awards. Also included is the Appraisal of Replacement value, certified & signed by the artist. The piece will be crated & shipped in two pieces: the sculpture itself, and the stone base. The Quartz crystal ball will be packaged separately & sent via first-class mail as a third package.

THIS PIECE IS STILL AVAILABLE, @ US $17,500. I'll even pay the freight within Continental US! Email me for details.