Luuuuuuv Tsunami

I've had a couple of pretty intense commissions on the go lately.  I like to have several spoons on the go at once because it lets me move from spoon to spoon and 'stay fresh'.   With something like carving, I find it is very easy to get hyper-focussed and hit a point where I no longer see what is right in front of my nose.   By spending an hour or two on each spoon then moving to a different design and different tasks, I find that I can more clearly stay on top of things.  Often,  I will also carve a more whimsical design to 'lighten things up' a bit and as a way to relax between more complicated projects.

The "Love Tsunami" is one of those spoons.   Inspired by a Japanese woodcut of a towering wave, I wanted to design a spoon which had a solid but liquid feel on one side (if that makes any sense at all!!!) and a an airy 'wafty' feel to the other.  I wanted the wave to curl over a pair of hearts which 'roll with flow'

seemingly tossed by the wave, but remaining resolutely joined despite whatever comes along.  The rich cherry wood with its delightful flecks of colour and strong grain intensify the watery feel of the design.

I also wanted this lovespoon to be very sculptural and a touch abstract.   I wanted to portray a wave, but beyond that, I wanted some of the other details to be open to a bit more interpretation.  Is this a half heart or a more gently cresting wave, is it the sandy shore which represents a safe harbour for our wave tossed hearts or a sleek raven watching the scene unfold below?  I know what it is for me, but it could be any of those things and more for other viewers.

But I confess, I can't help myself with the romantic stuff!!!  The spoon seemed to work with this lovely double heart motif which I have used on several other of my spoons.   I think it is both expressive and symbolic and I never grow tired of carving them!  What can I say, it's a luuuuuvspoon!

Granted, this spoon won't appeal to everyone, in fact, it might not appeal to anyone.  But I'll put it on the wall and I'll enjoy it!  And maybe one day that person will come along who falls in love with it.