Another custom made work, this time done in cypress knee.
It is 12'' tall Heron carving done in one piece, the base has about 5.5'' in diameter.
It has been a long time since I carved cypress knee last and this project was also the very first where I agreed to carve an interpretative bird (or animal for that matter) based on realistic shape and features.
I decided not to carve legs as those would be very thin, rather I chose to use more artistic approach to the base. I must admit I looked up how other carvers approach heron carvings and found my own way as the progress went.
The wood has some natural ''flaws'' on the surface as seen in the following picture, those just really add to the character of the cypress knee carving.
I wish we had a real spring already so I could take nice pictures outside by the pond, unfortunately it is all brown and muddy out there so these simple photographs must suffice.
The carving took about 12 hours and some extra time for applying the finish, it is about as much as for my very large cottonwood bark carvings.
Carving in progess:
