Wood carvings by Grant McMillan
The dogwood relief carving I have been working on for several months is finally complete.
This carving is carved out of one solid piece of wood. It is a one-of-a-kind relief carving of the official flower of the Province of British Columbia.
The frame is a 10×14 inch shadow box.
It is available. Message me if you would like to buy it.
Here is an in-progress shot of a spray of dogwood flowers I am sculpting:
This sculpture is an art piece of my own (a rare non-commissioned piece), which I have been nibbling away at for a few months now. I had hoped to complete it before Christmas, but there are many competing interests at this time of year, so it may have to wait.
Here are a few more pics:
In this last photo, I am undercutting the flowers to make them appear to float above the background. I intend to frame this piece in a shadow box with a black background.
The Art of the Carver show and sale today was a big success. One hundred twenty seven carvings were on display.
The quality of the works on display were top notch. And the number of people coming through to visit was huge!
Watch for more photos and updates at the club website soon.
Thanks to all who came out to support our art.
This Saturday (tomorrow), the Central Fraser Valley Woodcarvers are hosting an art show called Art of the Carver. This is an art competition that is open to the public after the judging is complete. From 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM, you can wander through the display tables where the artists and carvers will have over one hundred carvings on display, many of them for sale. If you are looking for a unique Christmas gift, this is the show for you!
You can see a sampling of photos from previous events here.
Hope to see you there!
This one-of-a-kind pendant necklace is inspired by fall on the West Coast. We often come across salamanders on our outdoor adventures. This one is much like the little fella we found near the ruins of an old barn near Fort Langley, BC.
This miniature sculpture is carved in teak wood and finished with linseed oil and beeswax. The adjustable brown leather necklace is attached with a hand made brass ring, attached to the tail with a whip-finished brown thread.
This necklace is for sale for $119 plus shipping, if needed. Email me at gvmcmillan@gmail.com to purchase it.
So many of my clients become friends, which I hope for because it means my carving adds meaning to their lives.
The DeWitte family have become some of our very best friends after they called me on a recommendation from the President of the Central Fraser Valley Woodcarvers Club. Jack is an amateur historian and a very good one. He knows his family history and he knows heraldry. This family crest, with helmet (those are feathers coming out of the top), shield, lions, castle towers, and surrounded by acanthus leaves, is historically accurate for the DeWitte family.
The wood is walnut, and is carved not deeper than one quarter of an inch, which means that all the depth you see is an illusion. It utilizes light and shadow to give the impression that there is more depth than in reality.
I feel privileged to work for true lovers of this art and craft like the DeWittes. And even more pleased to call them friends!
If you are interested in having something similar carved for your family, please email me at gvmcmillan@gmail.com
I get some very interesting carving commissions! That’s what I love about this work – there’s no getting stale because someone is always asking me to carve something creative and challenging.
This latest commission is for a rifle stock. The wood is walnut, and the carving is to match a tattoo! How cool is that?
Story
These spoons came about because my daughter-in-law’s mom really likes double-walled glasses or mugs for hot coffee, but sometimes they break when people use metal spoons and, in her words, “stir like a billy!” which appears to be Kiwi for “stir like the Incredible Hulk” or, to translate into Canadian, “stir violently and break my favourite mug!”
Sorry, but that is not cool.
She asked me to come up with a design that would blend style and mug-stirring-safety all in one spoon. For an added bonus, I have kept the spoon bowl rather small to help reduce sugar intake and keep the dreaded diabetes at bay. You can have a style, mug safety, and personal health all combined in these little spoons.
Each one is hand-carved in walnut, and impregnated with non-toxic cutting board oil.
Inspired by the Art-Deco movement and exclamation marks.
Price: $20 each, or 6 for $99. Shipping is not included.
One really cool thing about being an artist who takes commissions is that I get to participate in the lives of the most interesting people. The projects they ask me to do for them are always deeply personal and often profound.
Earlier this year I received an email from a Catholic Priest who was soon to become the Bishop of Tuktoyaktuk, which is located in the Inuvik region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. He had seen that I had carved a Crozier for the Anglican Bishop of Victoria, and hoped I could carve one for him too.
What made this carving so interesting is that he had his own bit of heraldry that signified his specific calling or vocation as a Bishop. In Latin, the phrase is Veritas et Reconcilio, or Truth and Reconciliation, which we Canadians know from a Commission with the same name. The shield and symbol he had was unique and striking in its simplicity and style.
The broken heart is mended (see the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4, verse 18). The cross has a spear on one side , part of the ancient Roman method of crucifixion (shudder!). The other side has a stick with a sponge soaked in vinegar. This is mentioned by John in his Gospel, chapter 19, verse 19, in which he tells the reader that when Jesus said he was thirsty, the Roman soldiers offered him a sponge dipped in vinegar on a hyssop branch.
The top space of the shield symbolizes the northern ocean that Tuk sits on the shores of, while below it is land with a river flowing through it, which I assume is the Mackenzie River.
I chose a piece of wood that should last forever and handle the weather of the Canadian north: teak. I finished it with the best feeling finish ever – a blend of flax seed oil and beeswax.
My client, the Bishop, is happy because he said it was exactly what he had hoped it would be.
Which means I am happy too!
I was given a beautiful and large piece of yellow cedar, and a fellow carving club member was in the midst of carving some large spoons which inspired me to carve one myself.
I like spoons that have a shape that flows from curve to curve.
This one has no flat lines anywhere. It is all curves. Even the top side of the handle gently curves from side to side as well as down the length.
The abalone shell is also not flat, but has a slight curve that closely matches the handle.
The entire spoon has been carved by hand, and the carving marks from the knife and gouges show. I believe a good wood carver is like a good painter whose brush strokes demonstrate her skill. Marks from the knife and gouge show how skilled is the carver, how sharp the tools are, and demonstrates his or her knowledge of the wood.
This is west coast style: carving that uses a west coast wood, shows a connection to the ocean, emphasizes nature and allows nature to show through.
This spoon is for sale for $169.00 Canadian
