TriSteratops
It all started with the search for a very specific wood: Sakura wood (almost impossible to find in block form), to bring this project to life: a small family of triceratops. After weeks of searching, I found its closest cousin: wild cherry wood, nearly identical in grain and colour.
This search let me to meet a wonderful old man, passionate about all kind of arts, woods and nature, who became both my wood supplier and my friend, and who now provides me with beautiful wood varieties to work with.
This is my first major carving (before this, I had only carved a tiny stoat, in soft wood, using a scalpel), and I’m thrilled to have learnt so many new techniques along the way.
The baby is named Dust, because a larger part of his body turned out to be bark, and he created an absolute mountain of dust that had me sneezing non stop!
← Dramatic french noises sent to my sis
With very few tools at home, I spent a whole week just sawing the blocks. Then I made a paper mockup and drew the shapes directly onto the wood.
I started rough carving with wood carving knives, but cherry wood is dense and hard to work with, so I quickly switched to a Dremel, using the knives only for larger sections.
While working, the wood released an incredible scent, like flowers and springtime. I’ve worked with other woods since, and none come close. It also had a soft, pinkish tone that doesn’t show in pics. With the beeswax, it transformed into something vivid and golden, leaving its cherry blossom hue behind.
Before and after final detailling
The sculpture was meant to travel by plane and be gifted, so when i saw the raw block weighed 3,4kgs, I panicked a little.. Fortunately, the final piece came in at around 1,1kg, much more manageable.
Maximum protection to go in my hand luggage :D
4 months of work in total. I finished by waxing it with beeswax for protection. The base got another treatment: I painted cherry blossoms across it, then varnished it to protect the paint.
