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How he creates
Artist’s Statement – How It’s Done
Having the ability to reproduce animals in wood and develop different textures to come up with a very realistic fur quality is one of my passions.
I like the challenge of sculpting birds and animals and copying what God has made and giving them lifelike characteristics. By doing this, you can see their beauty, their fur, their feathers, the expressions on their faces, the strength of an eagle and the feline beauty of a cat.
Creating my wood sculptures
- Leo Gibar, a machinist, has made me my own special woodworking tips (Dremels) and tools to enable me to create these lifelike figures. These special tools enable me to create the details and realistic look to my sculptures.
- My process begins with finding the piece of wood for the sculpture. Once I find the wood, I mark a design that I see in the wood. The next steps include using a chainsaw, then a grinder to carve out the form. I then use small Dremels that have the unique custom-made woodworking tips placed in them.
- Once the sculpture form is completed, I move to the painting process. I use a variety of mixed and watered down colors. I will paint layer by layer – many times – painting color over color, building up the colors, until I bring about a realistic look to the wood.
- The final process is to use 3 coats of tongue oil finish, a secret to the natural beauty of my work.