'Dall on the Rocks' (Finished) by Shane Wilson
February 07, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks | Portfolio Images
LINKS: Dall on the Rocks - Complete Work in Progress Video , Gallery Images
Here is the finished sculpture, 'Dall on the Rocks, 2011' on its walnut base.
Here is the finished sculpture, 'Dall on the Rocks, 2011' on its walnut base.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 13) by Shane Wilson
February 04, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
I frequently spot all the little errors when the work has a little time to breathe.
This is the result after a few days of refining, re-sanding and re-polishing. It is time to move on to the base making and final photography stages ...
This is the result after a few days of refining, re-sanding and re-polishing. It is time to move on to the base making and final photography stages ...
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 12) by Shane Wilson
January 30, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
The sculpture has been cleaned up, using small dental burrs to remove small bits of material to improve the flow of lines and shapes.
Following this, the whole sculpture was sanded with a fine burr mounted sandpaper cone, then polished with Tripoli on a cloth wheel.
The sculpture was removed from the mandrel/clamp (which you can see in the last image) and then placed on the walnut base.
The outline of the base was traced onto the wood, following the contours of the sculpture's footprint.
Next the base will be cut, sanded and a router with a cove burr will be used to finish the top edge.
Then it's off to the photographer for the portfolio shot. Almost there ...!
Following this, the whole sculpture was sanded with a fine burr mounted sandpaper cone, then polished with Tripoli on a cloth wheel.
The sculpture was removed from the mandrel/clamp (which you can see in the last image) and then placed on the walnut base.
The outline of the base was traced onto the wood, following the contours of the sculpture's footprint.
Next the base will be cut, sanded and a router with a cove burr will be used to finish the top edge.
Then it's off to the photographer for the portfolio shot. Almost there ...!
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 11) by Shane Wilson
January 25, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
I have refined the Dall sheep. Now a little cleaning up around the sculpture, then more sanding and finally polishing and the carving is done.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 10) by Shane Wilson
January 23, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
I have begun to rough out the basic shape of the Dall sheep after completing the roughing out of the rocks, both directly below the sheep and also part way down the hill.
You can see from this 3/4 shot that the ivory is highly curved and the perception of the sheep changes as you move around the curve.
In this last shot, you can gain a sense of the scale of this piece. It is really very small.
You can see from this 3/4 shot that the ivory is highly curved and the perception of the sheep changes as you move around the curve.
In this last shot, you can gain a sense of the scale of this piece. It is really very small.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 9) by Shane Wilson
January 18, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
The snow drifts and a portion of the rocks have been roughed out in this phase.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 8) by Shane Wilson
January 17, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
I have decided on the carved design, outlined it on the ivory in brown pencil crayon. The idea is to portray the Dall sheep standing upon a rocky outcrop that has been swept clear of snow.
Drifting snow is in evidence below. The rear of the sheep has been redesigned to appear in profile or slightly turned away from the viewer.
Drifting snow is in evidence below. The rear of the sheep has been redesigned to appear in profile or slightly turned away from the viewer.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 7) by Shane Wilson
January 14, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
In this phase, the mammoth tusk has been reduced to the outline of the dall sheep and the rock below.
I tried to preserve the ivory behind and above the sheep, but it was too thin and unstable, and distracted from the main focus of the sculpture.
The sculpture has been removed from the original backing board and re-glued in an upright position to a fresh piece of wood that has been trimmed to fit the sculpture but leave the carving surfaces exposed.
Note that a second piece of wood has been glued both to the base and to the back of the head and free horn. This is to absorb the vibration which will occur during carving and prevent cracking.
I tried to preserve the ivory behind and above the sheep, but it was too thin and unstable, and distracted from the main focus of the sculpture.
The sculpture has been removed from the original backing board and re-glued in an upright position to a fresh piece of wood that has been trimmed to fit the sculpture but leave the carving surfaces exposed.
Note that a second piece of wood has been glued both to the base and to the back of the head and free horn. This is to absorb the vibration which will occur during carving and prevent cracking.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 6) by Shane Wilson
January 11, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
The mammoth tusk has been ground down to expose the solid ivory. Unfortunately, the blue mineralization resided only on the surface and so was lost when the flaky outer surface was removed.
The dall sheep template has been cut out from a printed image, placed on the surface of the tusk and outlined into the ivory with a ball shaped burr.
The dall sheep template has been cut out from a printed image, placed on the surface of the tusk and outlined into the ivory with a ball shaped burr.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 5) by Shane Wilson
January 10, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
I have decided to keep the dall ram, of course, with some of the rocks upon which it stands. I'll decide on additional background detail after roughing out the carved areas defined by the paper template.
The image below is the final Photoshop compilation before committing to the ivory shard of mammoth tusk.
The image below is the final Photoshop compilation before committing to the ivory shard of mammoth tusk.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 4) by Shane Wilson
January 07, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
After printing out the image of the dall sheep, I outlined the major planes with a marker then rephotographed. After opening up the image in Photoshop again, I lightened the background to emphasize the outlines.
Next, I'll decide what to keep and what to cut, again, using photoshop, then print out this image, cut out the areas I don't want and apply what's left to the piece of mammoth ivory.
Next, I'll decide what to keep and what to cut, again, using photoshop, then print out this image, cut out the areas I don't want and apply what's left to the piece of mammoth ivory.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 3) by Shane Wilson
January 05, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
The polyurethane glue set up nicely between board and mammoth ivory.
The next step involved drilling pilot holes into the board from the back, using the carver's vise mandrel as a template. The board is then attached to the mandrel with countersink type screws. Finally, the mandrel is fitted back into the vise and adjusted to suit.
(front view of ivory glued to the board, with the polyurethane glue and clamp in the background)
(view from the top, showing ivory, board, mandrel and vice)
(view of the back of the carver's vice, showing the mandrel attached to the wood backing)
Let the carving begin!
The next step involved drilling pilot holes into the board from the back, using the carver's vise mandrel as a template. The board is then attached to the mandrel with countersink type screws. Finally, the mandrel is fitted back into the vise and adjusted to suit.
(front view of ivory glued to the board, with the polyurethane glue and clamp in the background)
(view from the top, showing ivory, board, mandrel and vice)
(view of the back of the carver's vice, showing the mandrel attached to the wood backing)
Let the carving begin!
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 1) by Shane Wilson
January 04, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
This is the basic concept of the carving, the Dall sheep will be situated on and before rocky crags. The image has been compiled with layers in Photoshop.
Designing with Photoshop allows for a faster switching out of images and the instant ability to play with sizing and composition. Another nice feature of Photoshop is the ability to remove material from the background to see how the negative spaces will interact with the subjects. (Not needed in this case.)
Designing with Photoshop allows for a faster switching out of images and the instant ability to play with sizing and composition. Another nice feature of Photoshop is the ability to remove material from the background to see how the negative spaces will interact with the subjects. (Not needed in this case.)
'Dall on the Rocks' (Phase 2) by Shane Wilson
January 04, 2011 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
Prior to beginning the work of carving, I have prepared the mammoth ivory by levelling its base with band saw and belt sander and smoothed out a little of the back edge, also with the belt sander.
Since I'll be using a carving vise for this project, created specifically for the purpose by Lee Valley's Veritas, the ivory is then affixed along its back edge to a piece of wood (clamped using glue which can easily be removed later in the process) which is, in turn, screwed on to the head of the vise.
I chose to use a longer board to give my hands and arms a bracing point while carving.
Carving vise by Veritas with an attachment adaption for the Veritas Carvers Bench.
Since I'll be using a carving vise for this project, created specifically for the purpose by Lee Valley's Veritas, the ivory is then affixed along its back edge to a piece of wood (clamped using glue which can easily be removed later in the process) which is, in turn, screwed on to the head of the vise.
I chose to use a longer board to give my hands and arms a bracing point while carving.
Carving vise by Veritas with an attachment adaption for the Veritas Carvers Bench.
'Dall on the Rocks' (Begin 2) by Shane Wilson
October 06, 2010 Categories: Dall on the Rocks
Several views of the 40,000 year old piece of mammoth ivory tusk to be used in the creation of 'Dall on the Rocks'.
Note the wonderful blue-grey mineralization evident on the surface of the ivory and the creamy-white colouration of the ivory itself. I will try to preserve some of the blue-grey colouration in the highlights of sky and rock.
This piece of ivory is quite stable, despite the evidence of cracking along the base.
I'll add a little cyanoacrylate if necessary as the design is cut into the ivory.
The base will be fashioned from this piece of walnut wood.
Note the wonderful blue-grey mineralization evident on the surface of the ivory and the creamy-white colouration of the ivory itself. I will try to preserve some of the blue-grey colouration in the highlights of sky and rock.
This piece of ivory is quite stable, despite the evidence of cracking along the base.
I'll add a little cyanoacrylate if necessary as the design is cut into the ivory.
The base will be fashioned from this piece of walnut wood.
'Dawson City Councilor Broaches', 2000 (Finished) by Shane Wilson (carved mammoth ivory tusk)
June 13, 2000 Categories: Dawson Broaches | Portfolio Images
Done! The pieces are finished to a satin sheen with 1200 grit sandpaper. I considered using polish, but decided against it in this case. A higher polish on these small carvings would cause them to vanish when photographed by tourists visiting Dawson City, or when the Councillors are having their portraits taken.
In the final phase, the carvings were refined, details and the gold nuggets were added, then sanded using the Dremel, with a sanding attachment I fashioned. Several years ago, T-BO (see link on Links page), taught me how to make this attachment, while he was attending the Great Northern Arts Festival, Inuvik.
First, take a nail (1/8" dia), cut off the head, then cut a slit into the end. Tear a small rectangle of sandpaper from a commercial sheet, fold it in half lengthwise and insert into slit. Install assembly into the Dremel, and presto, instant sanding wheel. The beauty of this system for rotory sanding is that you can change the grits easily and when the paper wears out, it can be replaced cheaply in seconds.
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)
In the final phase, the carvings were refined, details and the gold nuggets were added, then sanded using the Dremel, with a sanding attachment I fashioned. Several years ago, T-BO (see link on Links page), taught me how to make this attachment, while he was attending the Great Northern Arts Festival, Inuvik.
First, take a nail (1/8" dia), cut off the head, then cut a slit into the end. Tear a small rectangle of sandpaper from a commercial sheet, fold it in half lengthwise and insert into slit. Install assembly into the Dremel, and presto, instant sanding wheel. The beauty of this system for rotory sanding is that you can change the grits easily and when the paper wears out, it can be replaced cheaply in seconds.
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)
'Dawson City Councilor Broaches' (Phase 3) by Shane Wilson (carved mammoth ivory tusk)
May 12, 2000 Categories: Dawson Broaches
Refining as I go, it is interesting to make some comparisons between this phase and the last.
I have gone off track a little on faces of the mammoth and the wolf. Also, I have lost a little of the overflowing nature of the water coming out of the gold pan. The pattern behind the caribou is a little distracting, particularly the head - I will simplify the area and clean up the lines on the mountain.
Though it is not visible in the pic, the background behind the wolf and raven is a book, symbolizing the paper nature of First Nation life today. They have been in the midst of negotiating land claims and self government agreements for the last three decades, and now face the complexities of living with those agreements.
The small burrs used for this portion are from my trusty neighbourhood dentist. I find it a little difficult to control the tools to achieve the level of modeling that I am after, but I will use a magnifying lamp for the finishing work. I have also renewed my supply of smaller Dremel carbide burrs. Missing the smallest carbides has been a handicap, but they should come in handy now for the final details and edges.
For the final phase, I will finish the shapes, apply the surface textures and then polish. They should be done within the next week. Dawson City has chosen not to mount the broaches at this time. The cost is far greater than I imagined, but no searching for a substitute mounting method has born fruit. A local goldsmith will mount the broaches when funds become available.
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)
I have gone off track a little on faces of the mammoth and the wolf. Also, I have lost a little of the overflowing nature of the water coming out of the gold pan. The pattern behind the caribou is a little distracting, particularly the head - I will simplify the area and clean up the lines on the mountain.
Though it is not visible in the pic, the background behind the wolf and raven is a book, symbolizing the paper nature of First Nation life today. They have been in the midst of negotiating land claims and self government agreements for the last three decades, and now face the complexities of living with those agreements.
The small burrs used for this portion are from my trusty neighbourhood dentist. I find it a little difficult to control the tools to achieve the level of modeling that I am after, but I will use a magnifying lamp for the finishing work. I have also renewed my supply of smaller Dremel carbide burrs. Missing the smallest carbides has been a handicap, but they should come in handy now for the final details and edges.
For the final phase, I will finish the shapes, apply the surface textures and then polish. They should be done within the next week. Dawson City has chosen not to mount the broaches at this time. The cost is far greater than I imagined, but no searching for a substitute mounting method has born fruit. A local goldsmith will mount the broaches when funds become available.
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)
'Dawson City Councilor Broaches' (Phase 2) by Shane Wilson (carved mammoth ivory tusk)
April 05, 2000 Categories: Dawson Broaches
I have roughed out all of the broaches, some a little more than others.
The First Nations Broach will feature a running wolf and flying raven, indicating the hectic pace of life for most FN's today. With pressing land claim and self government issues, I may make the background of this broach into a book, indicating the paper nature of much of contemporary FN life.
The carving is basic relief work, with 1/8" bits and smaller. The ivory is a wonderful medium, since it is consistent throughout and allows for high relief and wonderful detail.
The broaches were very difficult to photograph with my digital camera. Please excuse the slight blurriness, since the focal length on the camera was not quite short enough for the purpose. I also tried inverting the broaches to heighten the shadows, but that created a bizarre image when the pics were turned right-side up. It gave the illusion that each carving was reversed - the highest points of relief appeared to be the lowest and vice-versa. I rephotographed everything right-side-up and the results are below.
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)
The First Nations Broach will feature a running wolf and flying raven, indicating the hectic pace of life for most FN's today. With pressing land claim and self government issues, I may make the background of this broach into a book, indicating the paper nature of much of contemporary FN life.
The carving is basic relief work, with 1/8" bits and smaller. The ivory is a wonderful medium, since it is consistent throughout and allows for high relief and wonderful detail.
The broaches were very difficult to photograph with my digital camera. Please excuse the slight blurriness, since the focal length on the camera was not quite short enough for the purpose. I also tried inverting the broaches to heighten the shadows, but that created a bizarre image when the pics were turned right-side up. It gave the illusion that each carving was reversed - the highest points of relief appeared to be the lowest and vice-versa. I rephotographed everything right-side-up and the results are below.
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)
'Dawson City Councilor Broaches' (Beginning) by Shane Wilson (carved mammoth ivory tusk)
November 01, 1999 Categories: Dawson Broaches
The City of Dawson has commissioned five mammoth ivory carvings to be set by a jeweler as broaches or pins.
The first mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent Beringia - the land mass that opened up during the last ice age accross the Bering Sea, allowing the passage of people, mammoths, and other ice age fauna. Dawson was located at the tip of Beringia and was not glaciated. That is why there are so many ice age remains in the Dawson area, including mammoth ivory, waiting to be discovered by the placer miners. The drawing I have chosen for this carving is by Renaldino, a talented Yukon artist who specializes in portraying Beringia.
The second mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the Yukon First Nation (Han) located in the Dawson area. Council chose to represent their relationship with the First Nation through the portrayal of a wolf and raven, symbols of the clan or family structure. Since I am not a FN artist, I will not use their symbology in my representation of the wolf and raven, but will carve something in my own style.
The third mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the new park formed just north of Dawson on the Dempster Highway, Tombstone Park. The formation of the park is a first in the Yukon and is an effort to begin to preserve for all time key bioregions in the Yukon. Kudos to the Yukon Government for concluding an historic and farsighted arrangement! Within the park, the Porqupine Caribou Herd has part of its wintering grounds, so I will try to carve a caribou in the foreground.
The fourth mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the midnight sun as viewed from the "Dome", a mountain viewpoint above Dawson City. The midnight sun is a remarkable phenomenon in the north. Many travel to the area around June 21 each year to witness the sun that does not set. It approaches the horizon then climbs again into the sky. The carving will include something of the vista from the Dome, looking north, and a time-lapsed view of the sun in its course.
The fifth and final mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the raison d'etre of Dawson City. Gold! The carving will be of a gold pan from which will flow a river of gold. Inside the centre of the pan are the hills of Dawson, from which the gold bearing rivers flow. I may even add a few flecks of the yellow ore for interest!
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)
The first mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent Beringia - the land mass that opened up during the last ice age accross the Bering Sea, allowing the passage of people, mammoths, and other ice age fauna. Dawson was located at the tip of Beringia and was not glaciated. That is why there are so many ice age remains in the Dawson area, including mammoth ivory, waiting to be discovered by the placer miners. The drawing I have chosen for this carving is by Renaldino, a talented Yukon artist who specializes in portraying Beringia.
The second mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the Yukon First Nation (Han) located in the Dawson area. Council chose to represent their relationship with the First Nation through the portrayal of a wolf and raven, symbols of the clan or family structure. Since I am not a FN artist, I will not use their symbology in my representation of the wolf and raven, but will carve something in my own style.
The third mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the new park formed just north of Dawson on the Dempster Highway, Tombstone Park. The formation of the park is a first in the Yukon and is an effort to begin to preserve for all time key bioregions in the Yukon. Kudos to the Yukon Government for concluding an historic and farsighted arrangement! Within the park, the Porqupine Caribou Herd has part of its wintering grounds, so I will try to carve a caribou in the foreground.
The fourth mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the midnight sun as viewed from the "Dome", a mountain viewpoint above Dawson City. The midnight sun is a remarkable phenomenon in the north. Many travel to the area around June 21 each year to witness the sun that does not set. It approaches the horizon then climbs again into the sky. The carving will include something of the vista from the Dome, looking north, and a time-lapsed view of the sun in its course.
The fifth and final mammoth ivory broach (above) will represent the raison d'etre of Dawson City. Gold! The carving will be of a gold pan from which will flow a river of gold. Inside the centre of the pan are the hills of Dawson, from which the gold bearing rivers flow. I may even add a few flecks of the yellow ore for interest!
(mammoth ivory tusk carving, mammoth ivory tusk sculpture)