Pine Tree Studios of New England

 This piece of the last of the UFOs (Un-Finished Object) in the workshop that I started before the pandemic and put on hold for my latest book. The unicorn itself is made from recycled wood that had been previously broken during taekwondo tests and demonstrations. The pole is in two parts and the wood was sourced from a local lumber mill.  While turning the pole, I discovered that a lathe can be an artillery piece if used incorrectly enough.  A small miscalculation and the piece oscillated, tore itself free, and launched across the workshop into a wall.  Fortunately I was alone in the workshop and standing clear. The piece will be entered in the  Arts League of Lowell  2024 Fantasy and Allegory show. 2024.  Polychromed Eastern White Pine.  Polyurethane finish.  Leather tail. Cast iron base.

A piece I designed and created specifically for the show.  Based on a similar project from  Easy Carving Project for Kids , this version is much larger with deeper tones.  The top piece was a board I'd picked up at a New England Wood Carver's event in the early 2000s.  When I completed the application for the show I thought it was walnut, but the more I look at it, the more I think it's mahogany.  List of artists participating in the show: Panoramic photo of a portion of the gallery of the  Arts League of Lowell . 2024 Mahogany, jelutong, birch plywood, brass hardware.  Polychromed with acrylics and finished with hand rubbed polyurethane. In a private collection.

Inspired by a call for submissions to Arts League of Lowell 's upcoming (March-May 2024) "All Things Musical" show. The three notes are the "Ba, Ba, Baam" traditionally sung after the words "Sweet Caroline" in the chorus. 2024, birch plywood, walnut.  Polyurethane finish, natural color.

 My work entitled "Hexagonal Asymmetry" has been accepted for the Arts League of Lowell 's upcoming show entitled "Abstraction". Generally my works have been representative and the theme for this show was an interesting departure from that.  Within moments of learning of the theme I had settled on a basic design but it took weeks before I was content with the approach before I started making sketches. The show runs from January 12, 2024 to March 3, 2024 "Hexagonal Asymmetry" December 2023.  Laminated Butternut, polyurethane finish.

  My first work of 2024 is a sgian dubh with a deer antler handle.  The antler was acquired from a local farmer who harvests found animal bones and antlers for artists.   The blade is smaller than typical sgian dubh blades which is my personal preference. 2024.  Steel, brass, and deer antler.

 Today was the first snow of the season.  It's light and won't last the afternoon, but I still found time to go outside and listen to the sound of the flakes sliding down the pine needles. Boreas was a labor of love from the first pencil line until the last stroke of the paintbrush.  The wood is eastern white pine, rescued from a discard pile at a nearby lumberyard. It is painted in a wash of white acrylic, finished with a clear acrylic finish, then washed with a light blue acrylic, then another coat of finish.   Boreas, the god of the North Wind, is hanging near my desk and will be my companion for the season. Nov 2023.  Eastern White Pine, polychromed with acrylics.  Water based acrylic finish,

 This year's ornaments were finished a little earlier than usual.  I started the tradition of producing a limited run of ornaments after being inspired by the late M. Paul Ward. December 2023.  Eastern white pine, polychromed with acrylics and finished with water based finish.