Woodezine - FREE Woodworking Magazine

Volume VII Issue 3 - FALL 2009

Artist Profiles

Belgian Carver Demonstrates his Technique

Patrick Damiaens is "the only fulltime ornamental woodcarver in the flamisch part of Belgium and the Netherlands devoted to woodcarving in the Liège style furniture." According to Patrick, Belgium is the only country in the world where woodwork in the Liège style can be found.

On his site, Patrick gives a wonderful slideshow demonstration of his technique for relief carving. He begins with a sketch, which is transferred onto the wood with carbon paper.

He then uses a router to remove the background, and then he scrapes the routed area. Then, he is ready to begin carving.

To see more of this unique artist's work, visit Patrick online. Click on the word "Woodcarver" at the top right of the main image to go to the English version of the site.

An Old Friend Has A New Video

Fred Schlatter was our Carver of the Month back in October of 2005. Now we can meet Fred in a new dimension: he's the star of an artist's portrait video on YouTube. It constantly amazes us how technology has affected woodworking, and this intimate visit with a superior artist without leaving home is just one of the many ways. Fred's hand carved wood signs have also appeared in various publications, including Good Housekeeping's Country Living, Sunset Magazine, National Motorist and SignCraft Magazine.

To view the video, click here.

Five Pieces By Bruce Shinn at Gallery 97

Montana furniture artist Bruce Shinn currently has several pieces on exhibit at Gallery 97 in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. He has been building custom furniture and working as a professional forester for the past twenty-five years, and recently he has changed his focus a little. While he still builds beautiful furniture, blending stone and wood in his signature designs, he now also creates wall hung art in wood.

Bruce explains his recent direction as being consumed by painting with wood. He states, "It was an 'ah-hah' moment when all of my experiences, skills and my view of the world became focused. It seems strange, but my experiences as a forester, firefighter, furnituremaker, outdoorsman and avid SCUBA diver flow seamlessly into my art work. Everywhere I look, I get new ideas for a piece. Sometimes it's the wood itself, and sometime it's as simple as the ripples in a pond, or the way the light reflects off a river. I'm profoundly influenced by the beauty of the natural world around me and my experiences in it. Living in western Montana every day is an inspiration. Whether it is an epiphany or early senility I really don't know, but I'm committed to exploring my new visions in wood."

Bruce was selected as a featured artist in the Montana Arts Invitational at the Hockaday Arts Center in Kalispell, MT. He has been showing and selling his art at regional juried shows, such as Sun Valley Arts Festival, Bellevue Art Museum's Northwest Arts Festival and others. Bruce and his art furniture were featured on HGTV's "Modern Masters" in February 2002. Selling his work through fine art galleries, regional shows, the internet, and customer referrals, Bruce continues seeking opportunities to display and sell his artistic creations.

For more info, visit him online.

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