There's an old expression which says you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. A great saying, but when it comes to lovespoons and bits of unwanted wood, sometimes that's exactly what a carver CAN do!! Here's your proof! Knowing I was going to be spending time sitting in long ferry line-ups over the Christmas holiday, I grabbed my knife and an offcut of maple from a firewood box by the back door. Normally, I stew behind the wheel of my immobile car, gradually working myself into an apoplectic lather over having to waste my life in a ferry parking lot (and I calculate I have probably spent a year or two of my brief allotted time on this earth doing just that)but armed with my little carving knife, a bit of wood and my overactive imagination, I can make the time fly by in a pleasurable (and occasionally profitable)way.
The scrap maple I grabbed as I flew out the door happened to be fairly long and narrow, so I decided to have a bash at a cage with a pile of balls. In retrospect, I probably could have fit a few more into the space available, but I wanted plenty of room for the knife, so I went with what you see. I managed to get quite a bit of the carving done at the ferry and then in the odd quiet moment over the Christmas holidays, but it wasn't until today that I decided to finish it off. Granted, it's not the most interesting or exciting spoon I've ever done, but it has a certain charm. I'm especially pleased with the long, narrow bowl and think I might try a few more like that. The balls in cage detail came out fairly well too, given that I was hacking away in the car and at the kitchen table for most of it!!
And since I am on a recycle and reuse kick at the moment, here's a nice little Valentine's spoon carved from an unusual bit of wood that came out of some wood packing around a commercial freezer.
I get bits and pieces of wood from some pretty crazy places, but I figure as long as they are clean, they look good and I can carve them without them falling to bits, then they are worth using!
Again, this is a pretty simple little 'whittled' spoon, but it's pretty cute and I really like the wood...whatever it is?
Speaking of Valentine's Day; you've still got a weeny bit of time to get a lovespoon in time for the big day (at least you do if you live in Canada or the US!) This little one is only 45 dollars + postage!!
It features a number of details less commonly seen on modern 'Celtic' woodcarvings, such as sweeping foliage, the beautiful Celtic 'swirls' found on paper and metal art and a much looser and more flowing Celtic knot pattern. The foliage has an almost medieval feel to it with the pointed treble leaves, but the sweep of the knotwork definitely gives the piece a Celtic 'feel'.
The varied thickness of the knotwork gives the spoon an organic plant-like feel. Although it is as rigidly controlled as any Celtic 'over and under' type pattern, it possesses a more open and easier going feel. The little stylized heart at the bottom of the knot is a romantic touch which indicates that this is a lovespoon...the solid heart beneath it leaves no doubt!
I have a soft spot for double bowls on my lovespoons. I enjoy the effect they create and I find them very romantic. Their use as a symbol of 'two becoming one' is perfectly apt for a lovespoon and I just never get tired of playing with the arrangement of their relationship to one another. The little berries make a wonderful contrast to the pointy leaves and also hint at the notion of fertility and life's renewal...another popular theme on traditional lovespoons.
I'm very pleased with this elegant little spoon. The wonderful amber tone of the red alder I used to carve it, lends the spoon a rich feel and the gentle dome of the handle makes the spoon feel (and look) very light when in the hand or hung on the wall.
